


Screw Your Loophole

by acchica2527



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Hosie, Legacies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-12-27 04:29:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18296861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acchica2527/pseuds/acchica2527
Summary: This story is set during Legacies 1x16What could have happened if Lizzie and Josie would have walked in on Alaric on the phone with Hope before she sacrificed herself? Would Lizzie and Josie be able to stop Hope? Would they be willing to forget Hope and let her be erased?It's the Saltzman Twins, what do you think?Note: That finale got my brain running with ideas so finally decided to write them out. Sorry if it sucks and please forgive all my grammatical errors, first time posting on here.





	1. I'm Not Saying Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Well that finale got me all up in my feels and definitely had left me with several different scenarios running through my head of would I wish had happened and what could happen after this episode.
> 
> Just an FYI pretty much most of the dialogue between Hope and Alaric in this chapter came straight from the episode, with some minor changes here and there to work with the story better.
> 
> I'll apologize again for the possible many grammatical and spelling errors found in here. Still debating on how long this will be. Feed back and ideas are much appreciated! And yeah I think that's it, hopefully you all enjoy.

Hope looked at Landon’s lifeless body, she knew he wouldn’t be happy with her plan at all so she couldn’t give him a chance to stop her. Looking at the looming pit she knew what she had to do, but she had to make a call first.

Back at the Salvatore School, Alaric anxiously sat in his office leaning against his desk. So many thoughts running through his head; how he almost lost Josie, how other students could have gotten hurt, what the honor council was going to decide, where’s Hope and did she find Landon yet? Just as that final thought runs through his mind his cell phone rings almost on cue.

“Hope did you find Landon?” a hint of relief in his voice to see it was the young Mikaelson calling.

“Yeah” Hope answered almost too quickly, her mind still processing what she has to do.

“Okay well, tell me where you are.”

“Fort valley, Georgia. Landon is going to need you when I’m done, you have to write it down.” explains a little anxious in her response.

“Wait you’re at Triad head quarters.” Hope could hear the fear in Alaric’s voice, clearly worried at their current location.

“Yeah, uh don’t worry though everyone here is dead” Hope answers looking around again just to be 100% sure.

“Okay listen you’re not making any sense, just put Landon on the phone.”

“Uh I can’t he would have tried to stop me so I had to kill him too.”

“Wait what?!” Alaric exclaimed, unaware he had caught the attention of his two young daughters, walking towards his office.

“He’ll come back don’t worry...even if I don’t.”

Alaric had tensed at Hope’s words, he wasn’t expecting any of this to come from the young tribrid, “Hope tell me what the hell you’re about to do right now before you do it.” Concern laced in his response.

“Daddy?” Lizzie’s voice quickly caught Alaric’s attention. He was so focused on his conversation with Hope, he completely forgot he left his office doors wide open. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” Lizzie asks again as the girls slowly made their way into their father’s office trying to get a read on why he looked so distraught.

“Girls-“ Alaric answers with almost shock or maybe pain plastered on his face.

Hope almost panics at Alaric’s words, “No Dr Saltzman you can’t tell them what I’m about to do!” She’s ready to beg him not to tell! They weren’t supposed to know, she only meant to talk to him.

“Hope you know they won’t let me do that-“ Alaric manages to get out before his daughter jumps in.

“Wait, is that Hope?” Josie asked as she snatched the phone from her fathers hand and puts the call on speaker.

“Hope what’s going on, where are you?” Josie questioned worried due to the look on her fathers face, Josie knew something wasn’t right.

For a moment Hope felt relief wash over her hearing Josie’s voice, she was okay, she was alive and it was because of her blood. But just as quickly as that almost calming sense filled her, her heart started to ache because Josie was okay, which only confirmed her suspicions even more. Hope was not prepared to have this conversation, she knew it was going to be hard to tell her plan to Dr. Saltzman but to tell the twins, especially after everything they’ve gone through these past few months together. She started to feel the tears run down her cheeks.

“Um I’m with Landon” Hope answered softly trying to compose herself, she had to get through this without breaking down.

“So you saved him that’s great, see I knew you would” Lizzie answers proudly with a smile on her face looking at Josie with a knowing look to their earlier conversation. Josie smiled as well thinking back to how confidently they believed she would be able to do so back in their room.

Hope looked down at Landon’s body again and then back at the pit, as she barely let out an almost disappointed “Yeah…”

Immediately the girls knew something wasn’t right and as they both looked at their father all he could do was sigh and look down. Fear quickly filled them both. “Hope what are you not telling us?” Josie asked needing answers. “Hope just tell us, what’s going on?” Lizzie ordered.

Hope sighed, shutting her eyes as she let her head fall back, knowing she couldn’t hide this from them and she couldn’t stall much longer. If she had learned anything about the twins over the years is they can be extremely stubborn and when they want answers they were determined to get them.

So she went on explaining what she was about to tell Alaric, “Clarke won, he found the final artifact and he tossed it in the pit, which is Landon’s father by the way. And now Malivore is gonna rise unless I stop him.”

“Stop him how?” Alaric questioned still trying to put the pieces together in how Hope fit in all of this.

“Landon got all the answers but basically Malivore was created by the blood of a werewolf, a witch and a vampire. It used to be only they could destroy what they created but nature found a loophole...by making me. The tribrid. I’m the loophole.”

The twins remained silent trying to process this information looking at each other with confusion, they hadn’t been completely looped in on the whole Malivore situation, their father however was and he was not on board with this at all. “Hope you listen to me this is just a theory okay and you don’t even know if this is going to work, so you just sit tight and you wait for me to get there!” Alaric demanded trying to get through to Hope, trying to get her to just stop.

“Theres no time! I’ve always thought that I was a cosmic mistake some one that never should have been born, but after all this time my purpose is finally clear! Think about it. I’m the answer to all of this, I can remember things about Malivore that no one else can. That Triad weapon didn’t effect me-“

“Wait when did you get shot?” Completely shocked Josie quickly cut Hope off, wondering how she could have missed that and what had happened after she had left them in the cells.

“When I tried to protect you, I managed to take the second bullet, but I didn’t even feel it. That Malivore goo had no effect on me and clearly my blood healed you Josie.”

Before Josie could ask anything else her father stepped back into the conversation, “I am not okay with this.”

Hope could only sigh, she knew he would say that, “I know but you will be, because once I toss myself into that pit no one at school will remember me; including all of you.”

Shock doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what the twins were feeling hearing Hopes words.

Lizzie is the first to speak, “Excuse me, WHAT?!”

“Hope you can’t be serious, you can’t be legitimately considering doing this!” Josie manages to get out trying to make sure she’s heard Hope correctly.

Hope could feel every word the girls said, but she wasn’t backing down from her decision and she was prepared to argue with them to make them understand why, “I’m the loophole okay it has to be me, I have to do this!

“Screw your loophole! How is you sacrificing yourself the answer Hope?” Lizzie wasn’t having this at all.

“Hope please,” Josie pleaded with tears starting to fall from her eyes fully understanding what Hope was willing to do, “please don’t do this, there has to be another way!”

“Hope you listen to me-“ Alaric tried to interject but Hope, as she often has, cut him off again.

“I’ve spent years torturing myself, asking myself why my father sacrificed himself fo me. To get to this point where, I mean I totally understand it. And I don’t want you to have to go through that pain Dr. Saltzman you’ve been through enough. And I don’t want anyone at school to miss me because they’re my friends; maybe I would have seen that sooner if I hadn’t been beating myself up all this time.”

“Uh uh nope I’m not having it Mikaelson, you hear me? No more selfless hero actions, no more martyrs okay! First Josie, now you, GOD! Would everyone just stop trying to die for one another today!” Lizzie practically shouts, wishing she was face to face with the tribrid so she could drag her back to school herself.

Hope had to let out a small laugh at Lizzies words, a slight smile appeared on her lips as she answered “Hey well it’s just like you said this morning Lizzie, it’s time for me to come through with my annoyingly perfect Hope Mikaelson heroics.”

This caused a single tear to fall down the blonde witch’s cheek, she tried to blink the tears away and find her voice again before she spoke. “Yeah and what else did I say? We’ve waited 10 years to be friends with you Hope!” Lizzie stated determined to remind the girl of what they all had wanted for so long. “You can’t just throw that all away right when we finally have each other in our lives”

It was like taking a punch to the gut hearing Lizzies words, the young witch was right, Hope couldn’t deny it but she couldn’t sit back knowing she could stop Malivore in this moment. She could protect them, even if it meant losing all of them. “I’m sorry Lizzie.”

If Lizzie’s words were a gut punch the next thing Hope heard practically ripped her heart out, as she could hear Josie, a soft sob escaping past her lips as she started to beg Hope to listen to her. “Hope please, You can’t do this! You can’t just abandon us, abandon me, please just come back to school and we can figure this out. We can figure out how to defeat Malivore together! All of us…Please Hope.” Desperation filled Josie’s voice, she couldn’t lose Hope not after everything that she’s gone through this year, she was certain losing Hope would just break her. “I can’t lose you Hope.” her voice cracking as another round of tears overtook her.

Hope knew this wasn’t going to be easy but there was no way she could prepare for this, all she’s wanted to do was to protect them and it was killing her knowing how much this was hurting all of them, especially Josie.

“I’m so sorry Jo. I’m sorry to the both of you. I’m sorry that it took us this long to figure out our friendships. If I could go back and change everything I would. I would have opened up to the both of you sooner and let you in. I probably would have still poked fun with the two of but in more teasing way and not in the hurtful way we have done for so long. In more of a fun banter way just because I actually think your bitchy sarcastic side can be hilarious Lizzie and its cute when you would get flustered Josie. I would have taught you both spells that my Aunt Freya had taught me, sorry Dr. Saltzman. I would have invited you both to come visit me back in New Orleans.” Hope paused, she was rambling but she knew she had so much more to say. She hesitated, she contemplated if this would just make things worse or give them the closure they needed to say goodbye.

She took a deep breathe indicating to the rest of them she wasn’t done, “If I could do it all over again, I think you would have been my best friend Lizzie.”

Josie’s heart sank for a moment hearing Hope’s words disappointed Hope didn’t see her as her best friend, but before she could start spiraling down that depressing hole Hope caught her attention again.

“And Josie” Hope pause having to compose herself again “I would have told you, I had a crush on you too.”

This time Josie’s heart stopped “What?”

“I had a crush on you too Josie,” Hope confessed again, “I did for a while, then the fire happened and well we all know what happened after that. I don’t think those feelings ever really went away but it just felt like after that day everything else in life just kept getting in the way. The timing just wasn’t on our side.”

Josie was stunned she didn’t know what to say. If her thoughts weren’t racing before, now they were in overdrive. Hope just admitted she had liked her back, scenarios of what could have been flooded her mind. Josie hadn’t been able to admit it out loud but her feelings for Hope never fully went away either, she’s always cared about Hope, there were times that you could argue she loved Hope but she was right, so many other things in life got in the way of them ever having a chance. Josie is pulled from her thoughts as Hope started speaking again.

“If I could do it all over again, I would have told you how I felt Jo and maybe the timing would have been right then or I don’t even know. I’m just… I’m sorry, there was so much I could have done and said before this moment. Knowing what I know now I wish I could go back so we didn’t miss out on so much.”

Lizzie wrapped her arms around her twin helping Josie to stand, tears running down both of their faces. They thought they had shed all the tears they possibly could this morning but hearing Hope’s confession just brought on the water works. Realizing the relationships both girls could have had with Hope. Josie’s brain was spinning, there was so many emotions overwhelming her at once. Her heart was racing and breaking all at the same time. The girl she had a crush on for so long just admitted to having a crush on her as well but now that same girl is about to sacrifice herself to protect the world, to protect her and she wasn’t even going to remember any of it. Before any one in the Saltzman family could say anything Hope continued.

“I know I keep apologizing but I’m sorry to unload this on all of you, I know this isn’t easy on any of us but once I’m in the pit none of you will feel this pain anymore all of you will forget-“

“I DON’T WANT TO FORGET!” Josie yelled at the phone, catching everyone off guard. Lizzie stared at her sister clinging to her in support, she could see the mix of emotions swirling in her. Pain, sadness, heartbreak, but right now anger was the one that was taking over.

Hope almost dropped the phone at Josie’s sudden out burst, not expecting such a response from the younger girl.

“You can’t just open up like this and ask us to forget everything Hope. This is all any of us has wanted for so long. I don’t care if it hurts, I don’t want to forget you, I don’t want to forget any of this.” Josie was determined to remember Hope and now more than ever she just wanted to Hope to understand how much she means to her.

A loud rumble catches all of their attention, the floor slightly shakes below Hope’s feet, she looks at the pit now starting to bubble.

“I’m running out of time, Dr. Saltzman can you please take me off speaker phone. But first goodbye-“

“No Hope! We’re not saying goodbye, I’m not say goodbye to you because this isn’t goodbye. We’re gonna figure out how to get you back, we’re gonna remember you and we are going to bring you back home.” A new fire is lit inside of Josie, there was no way she was going to just let Hope go without a fight.

"Josie please stop making this harder than this already is.” It’s Hope’s turn to beg, this is the toughest decision she has ever had to make, but she knows she cant be selfish. She knows deep down she cant just walk away.

“Then stop making it hard and don’t do this!” Josie’s ready to break again but she can’t just yet she has to try one last time to convince Hope to stay. “Look, if you care about me, like I care about you…If you love me like I have always loved you then please don’t make me say goodbye to you and just come home.” The tears are flowing again as Lizzie pulls her sister into a hug. Both broken and praying that some sort of miracle would happen to bring Hope home.

In this moment, Hope couldn’t be more grateful for the distance between them. Yes it hurt knowing she couldn’t hug Josie one last time, to comfort her and tell her everything will be okay. To actually kiss her for the very first time, but she knew if Josie were to be standing in front of her at this moment she wouldn’t be able to jump into that pit. Looking into those warm brown eyes pleading her to stay would have stopped her dead in her tracks.

“I love you so much Josie,” Hope lets out, she takes one last deep breathe before she continues, “and that’s why I have to do this. Goodbye Josie. Goodbye Lizzie. Dr. Saltzman…” If it weren’t for Lizzies arms wrapped around her Josie was sure she would be on the ground right now. Alaric gently puts a hand on his daughters shoulder and takes the phone from Josie with the other, switching the phone off of speaker and putting it to his ear.

“Yeah Hope, it’s just me.”

Josie couldn’t take it, she broke from her sisters grasp and sprinted out of her father’s office. “Josie!” Lizzie calls out to her quickly giving her father a look filled with so many emotions before she went running after her twin.

Alaric watched as his girls quickly disappeared from sight. He felt horrible for his girls but he couldn’t dwell on it as Hope started to speak again.

“Dr, Saltzman you know if you had any other ideas, if you had a 100% full proof plan I would do it in a heart beat.” Hope sighed wiping away her remaining tears from her face “But you know there isn’t one, this is our only and best option. I have to do this.”

Hope takes a breathe as she leans against the column, grateful for its support. None of this was how it was supposed to happen, she wasn’t supposed to be this much of an emotional wreck right now but if this were to be the end for her at least she’s finally breaking down all her walls. There is silence between the two of them, both taking in this moment, almost too scared to continue the conversation.

Hope finally speaks up, “This is where you tell me that even though you wish you could change my mind, you know I’m doing the right thing.”

Alaric can’t speak, trying his best to keep himself composed. He knows she is right and he knows this truly is their best and only option; he’s just not willing to say that out loud.

Hope takes another breathe trying to make sure she can get the words out without her voice breaking, “This is the part where you tell me you’re proud of me” The tears start to streaming down her face again.

It’s Alaric’s turn to crack, he can hear it in Hope’s voice. As much as she has tried to push him away, to make it clear he wasn’t a substitute father figure, he had become someone she looked up to. Although he could never replace Klaus, he did start to help fill that hole her own father left behind. Now Alaric couldn’t stop the tears from falling as he answered back, “You know I’m proud of you, you know it.” Alaric takes a breathe. “What is it you need me to do.”

“Call maintenance have them pack up my room, take my files all those notes that I know you keep about me and burn them. Along with Landon’s journal.” Hope states calmly knowing this conversation is reaching near its end, she needed to make sure Alaric knew exactly what she wanted him to do.

Like his daughters this started to anger him a little, how could Hope ask him to do this, ask him to willingly forget some one not only he but his whole family cared about deeply. “Listen if you want to erase yourself that is on you okay, but you can’t ask me to do it to.”

“I’m sorry Dr. Saltzman but I trust you more than I trust anyone, I wish I would have figured that out sooner too.”

Hope is ready to crack again when a roar from the pit bellow catches her attention and what appears to be a face starts to form.

“I gotta go!” States realizing she’s almost out of time, she has to act before it’s too late.

“Hope! Listen to me, wait!” Alaric shouts begging her for once to actually listen to him.

“Not an option. Mmm uhhh. Promise me you’re going to do what I said…”

Alaric stays silent, his heart is breaking from what Hope is asking him to do. Asking him to just let her go, to let her be forgotten, to let her take the weight of the world all on her own. He had dragged her into all of this, he was the one that was supposed to be protecting her and here she was doing the very thing he swore to do but for himself and the rest of the school. He can’t bring himself to say the words Hope wants to hear but Hope couldn’t let it go, she needed him to answer her “promise me!”

Alaric finally broke, “Alright, alright, I promise.”

*Click* Alaric slowing lets his hand with the phone drop from his ear as he runs his fingers from his other hand thru his hair. He releases a final deep breathe, as he places the phone on his desk and wipes away the stray tear from his cheek.

 

———————————————————————————————————————

Lizzie finally catches up to her sister back in their room, as she enters through their doorway she finds Josie shuffling thru her desk looking for a note book, paper, anything she could write on.

“Josie what are you doing?” Lizzie asks as she approached her sisters desk.

Josie doesn’t stop to look at her sister, finally finding one of her extra notebooks she starts writing as she answers, “Hope might be okay with us forgetting her but i’m not, we’re going to figure out how to bring her back!”

“And how are we doing to do that, if we don’t remember her?”

“We’re going to write it all down, grab a pen, and start making a list of all the important details we will need to find Hope. As much information as we can to lead us in the right direction. Remind ourselves how important Hope is to us, every detail about Hope that we can think of thats relevant and how it connects to Malivore.”

Lizzie quickly grabs a spare pen and a few sheets of paper and joins her sister as they start to scribble as much information as they can.

Josie’s heart starts racing, the thumping of her heart beat ringing in her each, more tears start running down her face as thoughts about Hope start running through her brain. She’s scared she isn’t going to write enough down before Hope jumps into the pit, what if they don’t give themselves enough clues, what if they cant figure out how important she is to them, what if she forgets that she loves her and how Hope said she loves her back. Josie starts to hyperventilate, she’s having a panic attack. Lizzie quickly drops what she’s doing and rushes to her twins side.

“Jo, hey look at me” Lizzie tries to say calmly placing her hands on her sisters shoulders “Look at me Jo.” It wasn’t working, all Josie could do was stare down at her notes as she struggled to breathe. This was making Lizzies heart break to see her twin like this, she’s never seen Josie this broken before. Lizzie finally shouted “JOSIE!” grabbing hold of her sisters face turning her head so she can look right into her eyes. The shock from the sudden outburst was enough to settle Josie’s panic attack but all the pain and all the fear of Hope’s impending sacrifice was still written clearly on her twins face.

Lizzies next words brought her some peace of mind, even it was just the slightest, “Deep breathe Josie. Everything is going to be okay, look you’ve written enough to make our own Hope Mikaelson chapter in one of our text books. We’ve given ourselves enough clues to figure this out and we WILL figure this out.”

Josies eyes started to tear up again she gave her sisters wrists a gentle squeeze, grateful for her sisters help. A slight smile appeared on both their faces as Lizzie wiped away the tears from Josies cheeks and both girls let their hands fall back to their sides.

Lizzie was right, they were going to figure this out. They were gonna bring Hope back. As Josie looked back at her desk taking a deep breathe she decided to write one final note for them to find later on. She wrote in big bold letters:

 

 _ **Hope Andrea Mikaelson**_  
_-Hope has been erased from your memories_  
_-You need to remember Hope_  
_-You have to find Hope_  
_-Bring Hope Back Home_

_You need to save Hope Mikaelson_  
_-Lizzie’s Best Friend_  
_-The love of Josie’s life_

 

Josie sets her pen down on her desk and turns to her sister who’s standing there with open arms. She gratefully takes Lizzies offer, falling into her sisters embrace, they hold each other tightly. “Everything is going to be okay Jo, I just know it is.” Lizzie whispers softly to her sister as she rubbed small circles into Josies back.

Josie repeated those words to herself in mind, _“Everything is going to be okay”_. As she repeated those words one final time Josie felt as if time stopped for just a moment, there was a sudden ache in her chest like something wasn’t right, like something was missing. She slowly started to pull away from her sister, her thoughts still consuming her on what could be causing her this feeling. “Hey Jo, did you hear me?”

“Huh what?” Josie turns back towards her sister snapping her out of her thoughts.

“I said everything is going to be okay, Dad’s going to be okay with whatever decision the Honor Council makes, don’t stress too much about it.” Lizzie simply states, but she gives her sister a worried look, “Are you sure you’re okay Jo?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay. I don’t know I guess I just kind of zoned out” Josie answers but she still cant just shake this feeling that something is off.

“Well hey you need to get going, you need to go meet up with the rest of the council to discuss Dad and I was going to go check on the little ones, Pedro told me what happened on the bus so I’m gonna make sure they are all okay before bed.”

Josie gave her sister a smile as she grabbed Lizzies hand to give it a quick squeeze, happy that they were able to make up after these past few days. They headed out of their room hand in hand, leaving behind the pile of notes written only moments ago. Notes completely forgotten…for now.


	2. I Promise I'll Remember You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are back! Thank you so much for the all the comments and kudos you guys, I really do appreciate it. So I'm going to warn you all now, I really hadn't thought about this being more than just a one-shot so it might take me some time to figure out where I want this story to go, so I apologize if it takes me a while to get new chapters up. 
> 
> Anyway hope you all enjoy this next chapter, and sorry if I get you all in your feels with this one.

It had only been an hour since their father had left to go rescue Landon. He hadn’t said much to them before he left, just that Landon was okay and that he would bring the young phoenix back to school soon. As he hugged the girls goodbye they could smell burnt wood on his clothes, almost like he was just at a campfire, what had their dad been burning before he left?

 

Kaleb and Josie decided to postpone their council meeting, since Ms. Tig was still on “vacation” and no one knew where Rafael was, the two of them couldn’t make such a big decision on their own. Plus with the day they had, they both agreed they needed time to process everything that had happened. Maybe talk to some of their fellow students to hear their thoughts on this whole situation.

 

Josie was headed back to her room when she noticed her sister standing out in the hallway starring into a room it appeared maintenance was cleaning out.

 

“Hey whats going on?” Josie asked as she approached the blonde twin.

 

Lizzie turned when she heard her sisters voice, taking her gaze away from the room only for a moment as she answered, “I guess dad called maintenance to clear out this room.” She responded with a slight head tilt like she was using her head to point towards the room.

 

“Thats strange,” Josie stood by her sisters side looking at the room quizzically, “who’s room is this?” Josie for some reason didn’t recognize it, like she almost forgot it was there like it never existed, but how was that possible when she had to walk by it everyday to get to her own room.

 

“I don’t know, which is equally as strange, the both of us know where everyones rooms are and yet I have no idea who’s room this was? Why wouldn’t we know who’s room this was?” Lizzie was equally as confused, being the headmasters daughters basically gave them access to all the information about the other students whether Alaric knew it or not. So something definitely wasn’t right if neither one of the twins could remember who’s room this once was.

 

They both peered into the room trying to take in as much about it as they could from their spot in the hallway trying not to get in the workers way. They both searched for any clues as to who once occupies the room. Josie couldn’t really see much. There were a few paintings and photos on the walls. Stacks of books that filled the shelves but they were too far away to really catch many details.

 

As one of the works walked out of the room carrying a box filled with art supplies, he gave the twins a knowing look, “Shouldn’t you both be in your room by now, its almost curfew.” He warned them placing the box onto the full moving cart.

 

Josie looked down at her watch, he was right, they had about 20 more minutes before curfew, “come on Lizzie let’s go.” As the twins started headed towards their room Josie took note what was in the box the man carried, art supplies, _So they were an artist, maybe those paintings were their creation._

 

As they got farther away from the room that held so many questions Josie could faintly hear the workers talking, “hey these carts are pretty full, let’s unload these down in storage and finish this up later. Make sure you lock the room up.”

 

As they approached their own room the twins noticed MG waiting for them to arrive “Hey MG,” Lizzie greets him with a smile as she opens up their door.

 

“MG what are you doing over here it’s almost curfew,” Josie asks as she led her best friend into the twins room. She goes to sit on Lizzies bed already knowing the two of them were going to share the same bed tonight after everything that had happened today .

 

MG stops short at the foot of the bed as he reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a familiar looking necklace, “I wanted to make sure I returned this to you,” he says handing over the talisman to Josie. “That really came in handy today, thanks for that” he comments with a smile, “might be the best birthday present you could have ever gotten. Who gave that to you again?”

 

Josie traced the talisman with her thumb, feeling the familiar metal between her fingers. Trying to remember how she got it, she furrowed her brow as she stared down at the necklace unable to answer MG’s question, “You know, I can’t remember.” She responds looking back up to MG with disappointment, how could she forget who gave this to her _._

 

“Well if you remember who did, let me know because I definitely want to thank them myself.” MG states as he heads towards the door, “I should get back to my room. Good night you two!”

 

“Good night MG.” The girls respond back in unison as Lizzie joins Josie on her bed.

 

Josie can’t stop staring at the piece of jewelry in her hand, there was something about it, some feeling she got from it she couldn’t quite figure out. She knew it calmed her, almost like a sense of relief to have it in her fingers again, she felt safe, she felt warm and… loved? Like she knew who ever it was that gave it to her cared about her, loved her. There was another feeling though that plagued her thoughts, it was almost like she felt empty, like something was missing.

 

“Jo?” Lizzie asked trying to catch her sisters attention.

 

“Huh?” Josie turned to her sister lost in her thoughts for the second time that night.

 

“You want me help you put that on or you just gonna put that down on your nightstand?”

 

Josie’s eyes fall back down to the talisman again, a small smile finding her lips. “Yeah could you help me put it on?”

 

“Sure thing,” Lizzie answers gently as she latches the necklace around Josie’s neck, the brunettes hand almost immediately touching it where it rested on her chest, hanging right next to her heart. Right next to where she was shot.

 

Josie grazed her fingers over the spot where there was once a bullet hole in her chest. How was she alive right now? How did her father know that, that vile of blood would save her? Who’s blood was in that vile? Josie shook her head, shaking away the thoughts of what ifs and what could have been.

 

Josie turned to her sister who was making herself comfortable under her sheets, “Hey lizzie do you remember dad saying where he got that blood from, the blood that saved me from those Triad bullets.”

 

Lizzie tried to think back to the days earlier event, “Not really, I think he said something about the cure for werewolf bites, I’m not 100% sure though. Why?” A look of concern on her face as she asked.

 

“I don’t know just curious I guess how dad knew that whatever he had me drink would work.”

 

“Well it is Dad, as he likes to remind us all the time, he’s been dealing with supernatural stuff since before we were born. Maybe he’s dealt with something similar to this.”

 

“Yeah maybe.” Josie answered softly not quite convinced of her sisters answer but she will let it go for now, she could question her dad later when he returned.

 

“Now come on let’s get some sleep.” Lizzie nudges her sisters shoulder with her hand, getting her out of her overwhelming thoughts again.

 

The two of them settled into bed, with Lizzie wrapping her arms around her sister, as almost a reminder that yes her sister was still her and she was alive.

 

“Good night Josie.”

 

“Good night Lizzie.”

 

_——————————————————————————————————————_

 

Alaric finally reached Triad head quarters and was searching for Landon inside. He turns the corner to find Landon staring down at something from the balcony. “Landon, you okay?”

 

Landon quickly turns around with a sigh of relief, “Dr. Saltzman! Yeah I’m alright, I’m just so confused what happened.”

 

Alaric walked over to the railing to look down at what was puzzling the young man.

 

“The Malivore pit, its gone,” Landon comments as Alaric takes in the seen. There was nothing left but a giant crater in the ground.

 

“Does this mean Malivore has been released or that he’s dead?” Fear dripping from Landon’s voice scared of not knowing what could have happened.

 

“Well by the fact that there hasn’t been a massive monster apocalypse released out into the world I think it’s safe to say that Malivore is dead, at least for now.” Alaric answered still not ruling out the possibility that Malivore could still return. He turns his attention back to Landon, “What do you remember?”

 

“Not much really, just that I found the third key, the headless horseman came after me to get it and someone took the third key and threw it in the pit. Which would allow my father to rise.” Answered back thinking of he most recent memories.

 

“Wait your father?” Alaric questioned with clear confusion.

 

“Oooh yeah we’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

 

“Well you can tell me everything on the ride back up to school.” Alaric was ready to get out of of this place, not wanting to stay longer than they have to.

 

“Okay,” Landon turned and started heading for the door.

 

Alaric took one last look at the giant crater the mud pit once resided. Pulling out the school phone he took a photo of what remained of any trace of Malivore. Maybe it could help him and Dorian figure out what the heck was going on. As he placed the phone back in his pocket, a strange feeling washed over him, like in the back of his mind he knew he was forgetting something. He shook his head for a second almost as if he was trying to shake that feeling away.

 

“Dr. Saltzman you coming?”

 

“Yeah, yeah let’s head home.”

 

_—————————————————————————————————————-_

 

 

_Josie could feel the grass beneath her fingers as she smiled, she was leaning back against the grass as she looked up at a figure in front of her. She can’t see their face, the sun perfectly sitting behind their head making it difficult for her to see anything but an outline. A smirk forms on face as she says to the figure “you poked yourself!”_

 

_Then she hears what might be the best sound, a laugh escaped the figures lips causing Josie to laugh as well, its so contagious and makes her feel warm inside. Then she hears the sweetest voice she’s ever heard mutter a teasing “shut up.”_

 

_They both laugh at the comment, the figure steps closer to Josie as she starts to sit up. Josie quickly realizes the figure she’s been interacting with has been a girl, but she cant fully tell who she is. Josie tries to take in the girls features but Auburn hair falls across her face as she leans over to offer her hand. Josie can’t see much but she locks in on the most amazing blue eyes she’s ever seen, blue like the ocean or maybe the sky. No, no those things don’t do the color of this girls eyes justice. They were like their own unique shade of blue but Josie doesn’t know if there is a name for this kind of blue. All Josie knows is that this is her new favorite color._

 

_Josie takes the girls hand, it’s surprisingly soft and gentle yet she can tell from the grip the girl is strong. Not because she squeezes Josie’s hand too tight, but by how effortlessly she is able to pull her up. This sense of relief washes over her like she’s know she’s safe with her. Just as she’s about to come face to face with the girl she disappears, her hand is no longer in Josie’s and everything has gone dark. Josie starts frantically looking around, she feels cold alone and scared._

 

_She hugs herself tightly as a chill runs down her spine as she starts to yell for help, “Hello?! Hello?! Anybody?! Please Help ME!” Josie starts screaming at the top of her lungs when all of a sudden she hears that sweet voice again._

 

_“Josie!” Josie spins around trying to find the source of the voice._

 

_“Josie!” She still sees nothing, all she sees is darkness around her._

 

 _“JOSIE!”_ Josie nearly falls out of her sisters bed jumping out of her sleep. She’s breathing hard, sweat dripping down her spine. She frantically looks around the room, and starts to calm down once she realizes its only a dream.

 

“Jos” Lizzie asks with sleep coating her voice, her eyes barely open looking over at her twin “are you okay?” She reaches out her hand taking hold of her sisters, giving it a gentle squeeze.

 

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay Lizzie just a bad dream. Go back to sleep, I’m just gonna go get myself some water.” Lizzie gives her a slight nod and releases her hand as she rolls over to her other side quickly falling back asleep.

 

Josie quietly makes her way out of their room and starts heading for the kitchen to get some water. _As she walked down the halls Josie couldn’t help but think about her dream. Something was bugging her, why was I dreaming about some girl. I mean, I just got shot this morning. Why wasn’t I having nightmares about being shot or potentially having Lizzie get shot. Even watching her other classmates would have made more sense, not watching some girl she wasn’t even sure of who it was disappear in front of her._

 

She was so confused, don’t get her wrong, she was grateful she didn’t have to relive that pain of getting shot or anyone else get hurt but this dream just felt so random. She just kept thinking about it all the way to the kitchen.

 

As she headed back to her room another part of this confusing puzzle got her thinking. This dream it felt so real like it felt more like a memory but she wants actually sure if it was. It felt so real and so familiar it didn’t feel like a dream, more like deja vu like she lived through that moment before she just couldn’t place when or where it happened.

 

Josie mindlessly walked down the halls so consumed with her thoughts she hadn’t even realized her had stoped. She stoped in front of the room maintenance was cleaning out earlier. She surprised herself and she started moving closer to the door, like there was a pull as if it was calling to her to come in. There was this familiar feeling as if she’s stopped in front of this door many times in her life.

 

She went to open the door and as she jiggles the door handle she quickly realized, _Locked_ , _well guess they remembered to lock the door_. Josie stopped to look around just to make sure there were no adults roaming the halls. She waves her hand at the door lock as she whispers **_Dissera Portus_** and with a * _click*_ the door starts to open. She quickly slips into the room and tries to quietly shut the door behind her.

 

With her hands still on the door Josie takes a deep breathe, its filled with relief of not getting caught and anticipation to see what the room holds. She slowly turns around trying to take in as much as she can. Josie’s grateful it was almost a full moon as the light from it spilled into the room giving her enough light to see without having to turn on any lights. Grateful she wouldn’t be giving herself away as being in a room no one should be in.

 

Josie slowly makes her way around the room, maintenance seemed to have done a pretty good job from earlier as the room seemed pretty empty. Most of the bookshelves were bare, the closest doors let open with only hangers remaining, drawers to the dresser left slightly ajar indicating they had probably been left empty as well. They pretty much cleaned out all of the small stuff leaving only the big furniture to remain, that is except for the desk.

 

As Josie approached the desk in the far corner in the room she noticed there we still some photos that remained on it, a few other knick knacks as well as some school text books and a record player. She let her fingers graze against the box shaped device, there was a record sitting on top ready to be played. Curiosity got the best of Josie, wondering what was the last thing this person had listened to. She turned a couple of knobs and dials, making sure the volume was turned down low so she wouldn’t disturb the neighbors in the rooms surrounding this one. As the record started to spin Josie moved the needle into place waiting to hear the music play. A simple melody from a piano starts the fill the room, Josie is almost hypnotized by it, _Why does this sound so familiar?_ Josie questions herself as that feeling again starts to wash over her, like she knows something is missing, she’s pulled back to reality as she starts to hear a voice sing.

 

_I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me_

 

 _Ouch, why does that feel so relatable right now._ Josie silently thinks to herself.

 

_This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy_

_I need somebody to heal_

_Somebody to know_

_Somebody to have_

_Somebody to hold_

_It's easy to say_

_But it's never the same_

_I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain_

 

Josie can feel a tear starting to form as she listens to every lyric with intent.

 

_Now the day bleeds_

_Into nightfall_

_And you're not here_

_To get me through it all_

_I let my guard down_

_And then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 

Josie’s vision starts to blur as tears start to race down her cheeks again. Why does this feel like a punch to her chest? These lyrics, it’s like they are speaking to her, explaining to her everything she has been feeling tonight. Josie wipes away at the tears as the song continues.

 

_I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to_

_This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you_

 

Josie takes a deep breathe, she will not breakdown in this room, she has too many questions still looming around. She turns back towards the desk, for more clues letting the music become background noise during her search.

 

_Now, I need somebody to know_

_Somebody to heal_

_Somebody to have_

_Just to know how it feels_

_It's easy to say but it's never the same_

_I guess I kinda liked the way you helped me escape_

 

She comes across three picture frames sitting on the top shelf of the desk. One photo seems to be a little warn down, in it stood four people, all dressed up like they were at some fancy event. Josie held the photo in her hands when she realized, _Wait isn’t that, Oh my god, these are THE Mikaelsons,_ her mouth almost drops open in pure shock. _Wait does that mean the person who lived in this room was a Mikaelson?_

 

Josie puts the photo down quickly and reaches for the next framed photo. This one looks a little more recent compared to the other, and more like a family portrait. There they were again the Mikaelsons, The Originals, now including all five siblings, but looking at the photo something else catches her eye. There, standing next to the Great Evil known as Klaus Mikaelson was a little girl, a girl with auburn hair and stunning blue eyes. A flash of those gorgeous blue eyes from her earlier dream invade her mind again. “No it cant be.” Josie whispers as she puts down the second framed photo back on the desk and takes hold of the third and final photo. This one was completely different from the others, there was that little girl again sitting on a tree log and smiling next to a campfire. Nothing too out of the ordinary, what surprised her and what almost made her drop the framed photo though was who she realized sat next to the young girl.

 

_Now the day bleeds_

_Into nightfall_

_And you're not here_

_To get me through it all_

_I let my guard down_

_And then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 

Sitting next to the young auburn haired girl was a younger version of herself and her sister. All three of them with cheesy smiles on their faces looking at the camera. _We…we were friends, we knew her._ Josie shut her eyes tight shaking her head.

 

_And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes_

_I fall into your arms_

_I'll be safe in your sound 'til I come back around_

 

Josie lifts her head from the photo in her hands and looks around the room again. _What the hell happened? How could we forget about this girl?_ Josie’s eyes catch a painting next to the window, it looks like another family portrait. She quickly makes her way over to the painting, her mind still racing trying to fit the pieces together to this mystery. Again she can easily pick out the original family but now there were a few extra people she couldn’t recognize. There was a man and two women who stood with the family, maybe they were some of the siblings significant others. She notices that the little girl from the other photos were gone and instead there in the middle of the painting sat a woman and girl who looked like she was about Josie’s age.

 

_For now the day bleeds_

_Into nightfall_

_And you're not here_

_To get me through it all_

_I let my guard down_

_And then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 

Josie stared at the image of the girl, there again was that beautiful auburn hair and those amazing blue eyes, and again images of the girl from her dream flash thru her mind. _Could this girl really be the one from my dream_.

 

_But now the day bleeds_

_Into nightfall_

_And you're not here_

_To get me through it all_

_I let my guard down_

_And then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 

Josie slowly raises her hand up to the painting, gently tracing her fingers against the girls image. _I bet this painting doesn’t do her beauty justice._ Woo where did that thought come from. Josie starts to feel her cheeks blush as she becomes aware again of the lyrics that fill the room.

 

_I let my guard down_

_And then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 

She can feel her heart ache as the final notes of the song end. Her hand has found a way back to the talisman that still hangs around her neck, her eyes looking down at it as she rubs it between her fingers for comfort. She takes one last look at the painting, _Did I love this girl?_ Josie asks herself, wishing she could answer her own questions. She walks back over to the desk to turn off the record player, still holding the photo that included the you girl and the twin sisters. Josie quickly decides she’s taking the photo with her, maybe if she shows it to Lizzie, she will remember who the girl in the photo is.

 

Josie starts to head back to the door to leave when she notices a sweatshirt left on the bed. It wasn’t a normal Salvatore school sweatshirt, instead it had New Orleans written across the front in a cursive script. Josie played with the soft material in her hands, pulling it closer she could smell a strong sent of pine, like the woods. She brought it to her chest holding the piece of clothing in a tight hug. As she silently stood in the almost empty room she whispered a promise as if the person who once lived here could hear her words.

 

 _“_ I promise I’m going to figure this out, I’m going to find out who you are and what happened. I promise I’ll remember you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well what did you think? Again comments and any ideas y'all have of where I can go with this story is much appreciated! Ps sorry again for hitting y'all in the feels but come on we all knew this wasn't going to hurt just a little bit.


	3. You'll Never Be Truly Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with another chapter. This one we interesting, as there were a lot of different conversations I felt I could have thrown in here but I didn't want to let this chapter get too cluttered. Hopefully I managed to cut out and keep the right amount. 
> 
> Anyway thank you for clicking onto my story, again apologizes for any grammatical and spelling errors, and hopefully you enjoy the chapter!

The minute she and Clarke hit the pit, all Hope could see was darkness. She felt like she was sinking into a pit of nothingness, almost as if she was sinking to the bottom of a pool. She could feel the darkness surrounding her, consuming her like it was about to swallow her whole. Then all of a sudden she heard a screech of pain, a loud roar of maybe anger which she could only assume was Malivore and then a bright flash of light.

 

Hope shut her eyes tight, the flash had been almost blinding. She slowly tried to blink a few times to let her eyes adjust, raising her hand to try and shield her eyes from this bright new light source. She slowly rose to a sitting position, she was no longer falling through the empty void, she was actually laying on solid ground. As her eyes finally recovered from the bright flash, Hope tries to take in her surroundings. Instead of darkness all she sees is white. There really doesn’t seem like the there is an end, just wide open space. Hope quickly starts to check herself to see if there were any changes, _Well I still see myself in color, no cuts or wounds, I’m still in my same clothes from when I jumped into the pit._ She snaps her fingers to have a small flame appear at her finger tips. _Okay and I still have magic. So where the hell am I?_ Hope is so engrossed with her own thoughts she doesn’t even notice the person walking up behind her.

 

The person stops only a few feet away, when they make their presence known. “Hope?” Hope freezes at the familiar voice. _No, there’s no way,_ Hope slowly turns around to see who stood behind her.

 

As she looks up at the figure standing there, tears immediately fill her eyes.“Dad?” It’s barely above a whisper, but Klaus can easily hear his daughters words. He just smiles and nods his head yes, and that’s all the confirmation Hope needs. “Oh my god, Dad!” Hope exclaims as she scrambles to her feet and basically tackles her dad in a hug.

 

Klaus firmly wraps his arms around his daughter, letting a tear of his own fall as he smiles into his daughters hair, “It’s alright sweetheart, I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He softly responds as he starts to rub circles into Hope’s back.

 

Hope gripped onto her father for dear life, like if she let go he would disappear. If she couldn’t feel the material of his shirt beneath her fingers or feel the rise and fall of his chest against her head as he breathed Hope would have sworn she was hallucinating. Either that or she would have assumed this was some cruel joke being played on her. She started to sob letting the tears fall down her face. This was real, she was in her fathers arms again. “Shhh it’s okay darling, I’m right here” Klaus started to stroke the young girls hair, trying to calm her down as she let all of her emotions out, he softly kissed the top of her head as he held her even closer. Klaus just continued to stand there with Hope in his arms letting her have this moment to get everything out, everything she had been holding in.

  

As Hope started to settle down and her breathing started to return to normal, Klaus released his grip from his daughters hug, pulling back so he could look her in the eyes. Klaus raised his hands to his daughters face, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. “Oh my littlest wolf, what have you done?” He asked with sadness in his voice, as grateful as he was to have her in front of her right now, he knew what her being here meant.

 

“It was the only way to stop Malivore dad, it was the only way to save my friends and everyone I love. I couldn’t just stand there and watch when I knew I could do something.” Hope answered with conviction, almost as if she had to defend her actions, to defend herself for doing the right thing.

 

Klaus releases a slight chuckle holding his daughters face between his hands. “And who in the world taught you to be the noble hero that willingly sacrifices themself for others?” He questioned as he gave her his signature Klaus Mikaelson smirk.

 

Hope lets out a small laugh herself, taking her fathers wrists in her hands letting the weight of her head fall into her fathers touch. “I guess I get it from my parents.” She says with a smile on her face, as tears of joy fill her eyes for the first time in a very long time. Klaus pulls her closer resting his forehead against his daughters. They both take a deep breathe and release a sigh of relief. Both of them had been wishing for a moment like this for so long. A simple moment between them, one without fear of what the Hollow would do to them, fear of the havoc they were going to cause being so close together again. They could just be a father and daughter again.

 

Hope slowly released her grip from her father and takes a step back, “So am I…you know?” she’s barely able to ask the question as she looks around her, nothing but white emptiness around them.

 

“No, no you’re not dead.” Klaus shakes his head, taking a step back from his daughter raising and opening his arms wide as if making a big presentation of the space around them, “This my dear is Purgatory, the space between the living and the dead, the space for souls who aren’t quite ready to let go wander.”

 

A sudden rush of sadness and guilt takes over Hope, her eyes widen at the understanding of where they are, “So the Necromancer was right, you haven’t been able to find peace yet…all because of me.” Hopes hands begin to tremble. “I’m so sorry dad.” Hope lets her head fall into her hands, she’s ready to break down again.

 

Klaus quickly steps in front of Hope placing a hand on her shoulder and the other under her chin to lift her head up. Klaus paused making sure he could look her in the eyes. “Now don’t start doing that again, don’t start blaming yourself for the decisions I’ve made."

 

“Dad if it wasn’t for me, you could be on the other side with Mom and with Uncle Elijah, you could finally find peace. No more pain and suffering.”

 

“Hope,” Klaus speaks her name softly, heart broken to see his daughter so distraught, “Hope it’s because of you I am free of pain. You helped me find the courage to do something I was running from my whole life. I don’t hurt anymore, I’m here in this space because I’m selfish and I still want to see my little girl grow up. I will admit, that asshole was right, I won’t leave this place until I know you have found peace. Peace with everything that has happened these past few years. I’m not leaving here until you find peace with yourself. And you know what, you have been headed in the right direction Hope.” His hand moving to her cheek to wipe away the tears.

 

“But dad it’s been two years-“ Hope tries to argue but Klaus cuts her off.

 

“Two years is nothing compared to the centuries of pain I felt on earth. And what is two years to an eternity of peace once I know for certain you are okay. Hope I’m not being forced to stay here, I can leave whenever I want, I’m choosing to stay here until I know you are headed in the right direction towards your own peace and happiness. Do you remember what else the Necromancer had said, I did die with love in my heart Hope and not for a second do I regret taking my life for yours.”

 

Klaus pulls Hope into another hug, holding her head against his chest. He knows she’s been holding onto this weight for so long, but it’s time for her to let this all go.

 

Klaus slowly pulls away again and looks down at his daughter, “So until that day comes, I will gladly stay here and continue to watch over you, to be by your side until you get there.” He wipes away Hopes remaining tears. Klaus pulls a hand away and almost sarcastically shakes a pointed finger at Hope, “And don’t even try to argue about this with me young lady, I may be dead but I’m still your father.” Klaus is unable to keep a straight face, letting a smirk fall across his lips attempting to lighten the mood.

 

Hope smiles at her father, a smile that reaches not only from ear to ear but to her eyes as well, in this moment she is truly happy. She pulls her father back into another hug as she shuts her eyes. As she holds on tight to him, she starts to let go of all the pain and the guilt from these past two years, she might not be at peace at this very moment but she’s getting there.

 

————————————————————————————————————

 

Josie stared at the clock on the nightstand, _*3:45am*._ She had successfully snuck back into her shared bedroom and crawled back into her sisters bed without Lizzie even noticing. That was about fifteen minutes ago and now sleep was still nowhere to be found.

 

Josie let out a frustrated sigh, she turned away from the clock and rolled onto her back now just staring at the ceiling. Josie’s mind was clouded with too many thoughts and questions for her to fall back asleep. It seemed as if every time a new question ran thru her mind another question quickly followed, and another and another.

 

_Why did we forget this girl? How did we forget this girl? Why am I starting to remember pieces of her? Am I going to get all of my memories back of her? Is she why I feel this void, this emptiness, this ache in my heart right now?_

 

Josie turns her head towards her sister, the sound of her soft snores pulling her out of her thoughts, just for a moment. _Does Lizzie feel the same? Does she have this missing feeling as well?_ Josie takes another big sigh and shifts again rolling back to her side, her attention falling on the objects laying on her bed, the picture frame and the sweatshirt.

 

Josie sat up and walked over to her bed, picking up the framed photo again. She traced her fingers over the image of the young auburn haired girl, _God how could I ever forget those incredible blue eyes and that contagious smile?_ All of a sudden images of the young girl flooded thru Josies mind. Different moments of the young auburn haired girl playing in school, in classes, interacting with her and her sister, walking through the forrest, and casting spells all flashed thru her head like film just starting to roll thru a movie projector. Then they were gone. Josie shook her head _, what was that?_ Josie looked back down at the photo in her hands, those flashes of moments slowly starting to become clear. They were memories, her memories, of this missing girl. Many of these memories are still fractured, just pieces of the larger puzzle, many details still missing. Josie set the photo down on her bed again and took the sweatshirt in her hands. She took in the cursive script, New Orleans _, well if she’s a Mikaelson it would make sense for her to have some stuff from there._ Josie fiddled with the sweatshirt between her fingers, loving how soft the material was. Without even thinking she throws the sweatshirt on. A new sense of calm fills her as her senses take everything in, the feel on the material on her skin, the warmth that it brings, and the smell that she can only assume is from its former owner.

 

Josie turns and crawls back into her sisters bed, this new sense of calm and relief allowing her to relax into the bed. Her eyes slowly start to droop as sleep finally starts to take over her. Josie’s final thoughts before sleep finally consumes her, _maybe I’ll dream of those blue eyes again._

 

_——————————————————————————————————————_

 

Hope and Klaus started to walk thru the vast open space, not really aiming to go anywhere, not like there was actually anywhere for them to go but it felt nice and natural to just move about as they talked. There was a new energy between them they both could feel, Hope had so many questions and Klaus was ready to help his daughter the best he could. “Okay so if I’m not dead then what am I doing here?” Hope questioned turning her head towards her father.

 

“I can’t be 100% sure but this may be some sort of reaction to your actions, a bit of a blow back from your light clashing with Malivore’s darkness. I’m guessing this is only temporary, if you truly are meant to be a loophole created by the universe to stop Malivore, then this maybe a gift from the cosmos to thank you.”

 

“You can’t possibly believe that.” Hope answered raising her eyebrow at her father giving him a skeptical look.

 

Klaus can only chuckle at his daughters reaction, “Love we are supernatural beings, from a world where magic and other creatures no one thought possible actually exists. I believe anything is possible.”

 

"Alright good point. So if Malivore isn’t dead then what happened? I clearly did something by jumping into that pit.”

 

“Well if you had killed Malivore, then you would be having this conversation with your mother on the other side instead of with me. So if anything I believe you just destroyed the portal to Malivore, the pit he resided in being more of a gateway to the Prison World in which he is trapped in.”

 

“Prison World?”

 

“Yes, there are many different kinds. Some tailor made for the evil that lives in them, others simply remind us of the normal world just empty of other beings unless they are trapped there as well.”

 

“Okay so, you think that’s where I’m going to end up isn’t it, when I leave you here I’ll be trapped in Malivore’s Prison World.” Klaus simply nods his head yes as his response. “So how will I get out?”

 

“I’m sorry sweetheart I don’t have an answer for you on that one.” Klaus stops and turns his full attention to Hope, “Just promise me you wont stop fighting to get out once you are there. Try every spell you can think of to get yourself out and any spell that could help get a message out to your friends for help.”

 

Hope stopped in her tracks, “That wont work.” Hope answers looking down at the ground defeated.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Dad everyone back at school has forgotten me, anyone who has ever met me doesn’t know I ever existed, including your siblings. The minute I jumped into that pit my existence was erased from everyones memories.”

 

The smirk returned back to Klaus’ face as he raised his hand with his pointer finger extended, he waved it for emphasis like an orchestra conductor as he spoke, “Well that’s not entirely true.”

 

“Wait what are you talking about?” Hope was completely confused.

 

Klaus started to walk again. “Like I said before, I’ve been able to keep an eye on you from here. Once you jumped in I watched as everyone forgot you, I checked in on your Aunts and Uncle as well to see it affect them as well. Then something caught my eye, it would seem everyone has forgotten you completely except for one of your friends at school. Caroline’s daughter, the one who took your blood to heal from that bullet wound, Josie I believe. She hasn’t completely forgotten about you my dear and she’s slowly starting to remember.”

 

Hope didn’t know what to feel. Hearing Josie’s name alone stirred up so many emotions inside her. Thinking about everything that happened within the past few hours again and their final conversation, had Hope’s emotions shifting up and down like they were on a roller coaster.

 

“She remembers me? How is that even possible?” Hope searched for answers in her fathers eyes.

 

“It might have to do with your blood in her system, like we’ve discovered your blood isn’t effected by Malivore’s powers and since she has your blood, that could be the answer.”

 

Hope still can’t believe it, it’s not like Josie had much of her blood in her, how could one vile stop her from completely forgetting Hope.

 

“You don’t believe me do you.” Hope just looks at her father with hesitation and disappointment in her eyes. “Well take a look for yourself then,” Klaus turns his daughters attention with a wave of his hand to the scene next to him. It was like watching a movie on a projector screen. Hope watches what happened after Alaric had taken the phone from Josie’s hand. How Josie ran back to her room to write down as many notes as she could about Hope. How Josie and Lizzie promised one another to remember her. How they held each other as their memory of her disappeared.

 

Hope’s heart sank for a minute watching how that moment unfolded, the two people most determined not to forget her had done just that in an instant. Then she saw how Josie started to act once she saw her room getting cleaned out and when MG returned the Talisman, she saw the confusion on her face, she had that look like she knew she had forgotten something.

 

Hope’s heart started to race when she watched as Josie broke into her room, as the younger girl searched for answers. It hurt Hope to see Josie so conflicted like this, she just wanted to hug the girl and tell her it was okay that she forgot her, it wasn’t anything the girl could have done to stop this. Then Hope heard Josie’s promise that she whispered in her room, like she some how knew Hope would hear her.

 

_“I promise I’m going to figure this out, I’m going to find out who you are and what happened. I promise I’ll remember you.”_

 

If that hadn’t melted her heart and made her completely feel warm inside, watching Josie find comfort in her sweatshirt, finally able to fall asleep again definitely did the trick.

 

“You see love,” Klaus starts as he wraps his arm around her shoulders giving her a squeeze, “there is still hope for you to make it back home, to be back with the ones you love, to be with the girl you love.”

 

Hope took a step back and turned to her farther, shock completely plastered all over her face. “How did you…”

 

Klaus lets himself truly laugh at his daughters expression. “Oh now come sweetheart don’t act all surprised. Have we not already established I’ve been checking up on you now and then. I’ve seen the way the two of you act around each other. The way you look at her and how you seem to always find her when danger is around. The way you act like you always need to protect her.” Hopes cheeks were starting to get red, _have I really been that obvious?_ “Oh and don’t get me started on when she confessed she had feelings for you when you were both younger.” He bumps her shoulder with his side, letting his eyes wander back to the image of the twins soundly asleep in their room.

 

“I approve of the young Saltzman girl.” Hope quickly turns her attention back to her father, his attention still on the screen. “This Josie seems very smart and compassionate. She has a strong sense on the importance of family and she’s definitely proven she’s a fighter.” Hope turns her attention back to the screen smiling as she started to think about all the other things that made Josie amazing. Klaus continues with his lips curled into a smirk, “You truly are my daughter to be falling for a Forbes girl so badly.” He turns his head to look down at her, that smirk still on his face but a look of pride was in his eyes.

 

“So you’re okay with me having feelings for Josie?” Hope asks her father with hesitation.

 

“Are you asking because she is a girl?” Hope sheepishly shrugs her shoulders and nods. “Have you met your Aunt Freya?” Klaus questions her back with a chuckle.

 

“Sweetheart all I care about is that who ever it is that you fall in love with treats you right. That they love you and take care of you like a princess should be treated, that they protect you and love every side of you. The good and the bad, the side of you that is all me and the side that is all your mother. Would I love for you to be able to carry on the Mikaelson name with your own heir, yes I would, but you’ve seen what your Aunt Freya and Keelin have been able to do. They have their own child they’ve been raising down in New Orleans, who’s to say you can’t do that as well.”

 

Klaus puts his hands on Hopes shoulders and looks her directly in her eyes. Nothing but love spilling from them. “So again to answer your question, no, I don’t care if it is a man or a woman you fall in love with. I’m okay with you being in love with Josie Saltzman, as long as you are happy, then I approve.” Hope jumps into his fathers arms once again for what felt like the 20th time since they have been back together, you could say they were just making up for lost time.

 

“Although I’m a bit on the fence about this boy who currently holds your heart.” Klaus states as he pulls away from Hope.

 

“Daaaad” Hope whines, not really looking to have a lecture about her love life from her father.

 

“Whaat? I saw the way he made you feel during Miss Mystic Falls. How he pushed his insecurities on you, making it seem like you were the bad guy and then abandoning you without an escort.” Hope noticed the slight change in her fathers voice, Landon had definitely pissed him off. “That boy is lucky I wasn’t there to rip his heart out on the spot.” Oh yeah, Landon was definitely lucky her dad wasn’t alive in that moment.

 

Klaus’ features start to soften though looking at his daughter, he takes Hope’s hand as he continues to speak, “You looked stunning in that dress by the way.” A tear starts to roll down his cheek.

 

“Thanks dad.” Hope answers holding her fathers hand tightly.

 

“And look, I know I have no say in who you date or who you will end up with, especially being over on this side but I will tell you this. Whom ever that lucky person may be who gets to marry my daughter, that person better love you whole heartedly. That person should love every piece of you, the dark and the light. Don’t forget love you are a Tribrid. That person needs to be okay with those three pieces that help make you, you. They should never ever make you doubt yourself or feel ashamed to be who you are. They should never make you feel like a monster because you aren’t. You sweetheart, you are just one of a kind. They should help you grow as a person, they should be able to help you find out who you truly are and help you learn to love every part of yourself as well. Who ever it is, whether it be this Landon boy, or a different boy, or some girl, or even Josie. Who ever that person is, make sure it is someone who will help you feel whole.” Hope can feel the tears coming again, she nods her head in understanding of her fathers words.

 

“I love you Dad.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Hope is truly happy and grateful in this moment. She had missed her father so much, she had missed out on so many moments like this. She missed out on these heart to heart moments and deep conversations. She missed out on just having her father around to show her unconditional love. So right now in this moment she took it all in. However she feels like this moment is coming to an end as she notices the bright light around them starting to dim a little, and Klaus notices it as well.

 

“I think our time is starting to run out love.” Klaus states as he looks up at the darkening sky surrounding them.

 

Hope starts to panic, “No no no I’m not ready to leave, I don’t want to go back into that darkness. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you again.” Tears started to run down Hopes again as she gripped at her fathers arms. Klaus could see the scared little girl he once knew, the little girl that would cling to him when she had nightmares.

 

He pulled her in for another tight embrace. “Hope listen to me, you are going to be fine, everything is to be okay. You are strong and you are powerful and you are more than capable to overcome any threat that comes your way.” Klaus pulls back enough to look Hope in the eyes but still holds her close. “Look at me, now tell me what are you going to do once you leave here.”

 

Hope takes a deep breathe, “I’m going to try any spell I can think of to get myself out or any spell that could help me connect back with Josie and the others.”

 

“Uh Huh and?”

 

“And I won’t stop fighting to get out until I do.” Hope answers him with a look of determination in her eyes.

 

“Thats my girl.” Klaus smiles at her, as a smile matching his own makes its way onto Hopes face.

 

“Remember, I don’t know what kind of Prison world you will end up in so watch your back, that place could be filled with every creature that got thrown into that pit.”

 

Oh great, I could be stuck with agent Clarke for who knows how long, Hope thought to herself as her father continued. “And if it turns out to be like an almost parallel world to our normal one, take advantage of it, get back to the school and use anything you can there.”

 

“I got it dad.” Hope confirms with confidence, “You got anymore advise before I go off into the unknown.” Hope asks him with a bit of dramatic flair.

 

This causes Klaus to chuckle one again, seeing a piece of his own antics shine through his daughter. “Well we basically covered everything when it comes to your love life. Hmm and not too much else comes to mind that Alaric hasn’t already told you about a hundred times.” Hope tries to give her best _what I’m innocent face_ to him but Klaus just shakes his head. “Do go easy on him love, it's not easy to take care of an entire school of supernaturals, plus throwing in a Mikaelson into the mix. Oooh definitely not a simple task.” He gives her a wink as Hope simply shakes her head right back at her father.

 

“Okay okay you have my word.”

 

“Good girl, now one last thing.” Klaus brings his hand back to her daughters face, holding her head as he had done earlier when she first appeared in front of him. “Just remember sweetheart, even when you finally find peace in yourself on earth and I finally choose to cross into the other side with your mother and your uncle, I’ll never truly leave you. You’ll always have a piece of me, right here.” Klaus take his right hand from her cheek and places it on Hopes chest, where he could feel his daughters heart still beating, he smiles down at her with pride. “You’ll never be truly alone my littlest wolf because you’re my heart and I’ll always be in yours, right there with your mother.”

 

Hope places her hand on top of her fathers, tears slipping from her eyes once again. She takes a deep breathe and looks into her fathers eyes again. “I love you dad and I promise, I won’t stop fighting until I make it home. I promise I’ll keep making you proud.”

 

Klaus pulls her in for one final hug. “I know you will sweetheart. I love you so much, with all of my heart and all of my being I love you. Remember that okay.”

 

“I will” Hope’s answer is barely above a whisper. They hold one another tightly as Klaus places one final kiss on Hope’s head.

 

As the two release each other for the last time, the light starts to fade even more, but Hope’s eyes remain on her fathers. Klaus takes a step back, a proud smile on his face and love in his eyes, he couldn’t thank what ever mystical force that gave them this time enough. He got another chance to hold his little girl, a chance to help her one last time, a chance to nudge her in the right direction, a chance to let her know he was okay and everything else will be too.

 

Standing face to face with his daughter, Klaus still held onto Hopes hand in front of him, not quite ready to let go. “Now close your eyes my littlest wolf.” Klaus tells her with a gentle squeeze of her hand. His voice is soft and calming to Hopes nerves. “Now close your eyes and just let go, take a deep breathe and let the darkness take you in.” Hope takes a breathe staring into her fathers eyes as she gives him a slight nod of understanding.

 

As Hope shuts her eyes, she hears her father speak again as she takes a deep breathe, “I love you Hope.” escapes as Klaus squeezes her hand again.

 

Hope squeezes back, “I love you Dad.”

 

And then she was gone.

 

Klaus let his hand fall back to his side, he looked up to see the darkness fading away as the light overtakes it. His smirk reappearing on his face, “Go on sweetheart, go kick some ass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we know a little bit about what happened to Hope and KLAUS RETURNS! And he approves of Hosie! I mean it is my story so yeah of course he would!
> 
> What did y'all think? Again comments and ideas are much appreciated. Also thank you so much for reading.


	4. What Do You Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are back again! Sorry this chapter took so long, I had a bit of writers block and life got a bit in the way. So I apologize if this chapter isn't that great but I really wanted to put something out, but I mean hopefully you all still enjoy and helps move the story along.
> 
> Anyway like always, thanks for clicking on this story and hope you all enjoy!

_Josie does dream of those beautiful blue eyes again. She basically has the same dream as the one from earlier that night except this time she knows who it is that’s standing in front of her (well sort of). Now as she dreams of those gorgeous eyes and that contagiously bright smile, she gets the full picture of the girl standing before her. This time she doesn’t disappear once the girl has pulled her back up to her feet. This time she’s able to take in all of her features as the two continue to laugh together._

 

_They are walking and talking through the small park in Mystic Falls town square. Josie isn’t really paying attention to the conversation going on between them, this dream feels more like some out-of-body experience. It’s not like she’s watching what’s happening on a tv screen she’s still herself, but it seems like her body and actions are working on their own. Again she’s almost certain that this isn’t actually a dream, more like she is reliving a memory._

 

_As they continue to walk and talk, Josie takes in everything she can about this girl. She’s shorter than Josie but she appears to be about the same age as her. She notices how her hair moves with the gentle breeze and how it shines when the sun hits it just right. She watches how her eyes light up when she smiles and how a look of genuine concern crosses her face when she thinks that Josie is upset._

 

_Josie lets herself tune back in to the conversation they are having as the girl stops in front of her with what looks to be like a serious discussion._

 

_“You’re dad knows I used black magic that’s why I’m here, that’s why I’m in trouble,” the girl tells her and a rush of guilt and fear takes over Josie. That’s right, we had to do community service after the football game, so this is why she is in trouble. Wait why am I scared by this information?_

 

_“Don’t worry I didn’t tell him that you helped me with the spell,” the girl continued clearly she was able to read the emotions on Josie’s face. So I was willing to help this girl with black magic. She was definitely more than just some classmate to me if I was willing to break my dad’s rules against black magic._

 

_Before Josie can think about the potential relationship she had with this girl any further, the girl starts walking again but Josie can’t move she’s stuck. She knows she should be following her, this isn’t the end of their conversation but its like she’s paralyzed, her legs are frozen in place. Suddenly everything around her turns to darkness like during her first dream. Josie starts to panic again looking all around her, her gaze falling back to see the girl still walking away, her image getting smaller and smaller with each step. She wants to call out to her, to call her name and get her to stop but she can’t, she can’t remember her name. “Hey! Hey stop! Come back! Come BACK!”_

 

Josie’s eyes suddenly snap open and she was awake once again, the sun peaking through the twins window and shining in the girls face. Josie tries to blink the sleep away as she starts to stir and stretch out her limbs. As she sits up from the bed her attention falls to her clock on the night stand *7:12am*

 

Josie turns to find Lizzie missing from her bed and almost as if on cue Josie’s attention shifts to her sister reentering their room. “Oh you’re up, Morning Jo,” Lizzie comments a little surprised her sister is up this early, “how are you doing?” Concern clearly laced in her words.

 

“I’m okay,” Josie answers softly looking at her sister who made her way to sit beside her on the bed. “How are you?” Josie asks as she bumps she shoulder against her sisters.

 

“Pretty much the same, you manage to go back to sleep after that nightmare?” Lizzie asks a little hesitantly hoping she doesn’t trigger any negative feelings or memories for her sister.

 

Josie notices this so she tries to answer confidently enough to reassure her twin, “Yeah it took me a little bit but I managed to fall back asleep for a few more hours.”

 

“That’s good.” Lizzie replies with a genuine smile on her face, happy to hear her sister is okay, she can tell she isn’t necessarily good but right now she will gladly take okay. Lizzie watches as Josie lets out a big yawn and stretches, still clearly tired, when the writing on the sweatshirt her sister is wearing catches her eye. “Hey where’d you get that sweatshirt from?”

 

Josie just gives Lizzie a look of confusion, “Huh?”

 

Lizzie points to the script written across the chest of the sweatshirt, “New Orleans? Jo we’ve never been to New Orleans well not since we were really little, so where did you get that sweatshirt from?”

 

Josie’s cheeks start to heat up, she totally forgot she had slept in her mystery girls sweatshirt. Josie has no idea what to say, she can’t just tell Lizzie she stole this sweatshirt and she’s not quite sure yet how to explain to her sister about this weird missing feeling she’s had all night. So since Josie can’t form a proper sentence she simply lets out an, “Ummmmmm…”

 

Now a bit concerned by her sisters strange actions and lack of an answer for a simple question Lizzie asks Josie another question a bit more sternly, “Josie…who’s sweatshirt is that?”

 

“Wow I’m really hungry, are you hungry?” Josie deflects her sisters question with her own as she quickly stands, taking the sweatshirt off in the process. She throws the piece of clothing onto her bed, and starts walking towards the door, she turns back to her sister as she opens the door. “Let’s go get something to eat.” She comments as she gestures for them to head down for breakfast.

 

Lizzie looks up at her with a skeptical look on her face and her arms crossed in front of her chest. “Ugh fine but only because I am starving,” Lizzie states as she stands and starts to make her way to the door. Lizzie stops right in from of Josie giving her a knowing look before she makes her way down the hall, “this conversation isn’t over!”

 

Josie lets out a sigh as her sister starts heading down the hall. She knows she has to explain everything to Lizzie soon, but right now she just isn’t sure if Lizzie will think she is absolutely crazy or if she will further confirm this missing feeling with her own. Josie takes one last deep breathe before she shuts their door and jogs to catch up with her twin down the hall.

 

As the sisters make their way into the dinning hall they easily find MG and Kaleb at their usual table. Once they grabbed their food the girls went over to sit with he boys, Josie taking the seat to Lizzie’s left and an empty seat to her right as she sat across from MG. Kaleb looked up with slight confusion at the blonde twin, noticing the open seat she left in front of him. With his apple in hand, Kaleb waved toward the empty seat in front of him as he asked Lizzie, “You saving that seat for someone?”

 

His question caught both the the twins attention and both looking confused at what he meant. “What do you mean?” Lizzie asked her eyebrows furrowed.

 

“The seat right next to you, you saving that for some one in particular?” Kaleb pointed towards the seat again as he elaborated a little bit about his question.

 

There was that feeling again, Lizzie looked down at the seat and something in the back of her mind was telling her, something was missing. She hadn’t taken her seat with any intent of saving it for anyone, she had taken her seat because it was like second nature for her to sit there. She sat there and Josie always sat on her left, it wasn’t Landon’s seat or Rafael’s either, was there someone else that would always sit on her right?

 

Josie had been staring at the seat as well, once Kaleb had asked his question again. Then all of a sudden flashes of the auburn haired girl started appearing again, like they had those early hours this morning. Flashes of her sitting in that very seat, talking with all of their friends, laughing at something that was said, eating by Lizzies side, her turning to smile in Josie’s direction. Josie shook her head as the memories seemed to stop again. Lizzie turned back to her twin with a concerned look. Josie just gave her a weak smile and nod, telling her sister without even saying it out loud that _she was okay, but I know you will check up on me again later._

 

Accepting that response Lizzie lets her attention fall back to Kaleb, realizing she still hadn’t answered the vampires question, “Nope, not saving it for anyone, I guess I just sat down not really thinking.” Kaleb just shrugs his shoulders in a sort of alright that’s cool response, not really seeing a point to push the topic further. He figures the girl was just a little spacey this morning, still getting over the events from yesterday. The group continued to eat and chat about random topics, the thought of the empty seat drifting to the back of their minds along with the person who would usually occupy it.

_———————————————————————————————————————_

 

Hope hit the ground with a thud, it felt like she had just fallen out of her bed but this wasn’t her bedroom. Her eyes had shot open from the contact. _Well I’m definitely not in purgatory anymore._ Hope thinks to herself as her eyes try to readjust to her surroundings, her hands brush against the cold asphalt as she tries to stand up. A chill runs down her spine as she is barely able to see her breath in front of her.

 

A sudden grown beside her pulls at Hope’s attention, she turns to find Clarke on the ground next to her. “Oh great you’re here too.” Hope was really wishing her father was going to be wrong about him being with her, wherever they are.

 

Clarke quickly panics to his feet then looked around them in confusion. “What the hell did you do?”

 

“You really think I would have an answer to what happened? I thought we were going to die once we hit the pit, I have no clue what this is or where we are!” Hope argues back at him already annoyed, sure she had some guesses as to where they were thanks to her conversation with her father but she wasn’t about to discuss any of that with Clarke.

 

“Well the last time I went into the pit, I saw nothing but darkness and felt the chill of the empty void. That was torture, but this is different, where are we?” Clarke was genuinely confused and also concerned, something definitely happened but neither of them had a clear answer as to what that was.

 

Hope started to really look around them, turning a full 360 to see if her suspicions were correct. It looked like the normal world, except it felt like it was just empty. Hope couldn’t hear any sounds of little woodland creatures, no on coming cars or planes flying overhead, just nothing.

 

Hope recognized the road they were standing on as the one that she and Alaric had used to get to Triad headquarters which lay about a mile away from where they stood in the woods. It seemed like it was the middle of the night, Hope looked up at the sky and there wasn’t a single star in the sky and no moon in sight, the only source of light coming from the dim street lights around them.

 

Suddenly a loud roar could be heard in the distance and another screech coming from the other direction. “What the fuck was that?” Clarke voiced the question they were both unsure if they wanted the answer to, fear seeping into their bones.

 

“Well where ever the hell we are, we definitely aren’t alone. My guess is, whatever other creatures or humans that were thrown into the pit are here as well.” Hope answers as she looks around again, double checking for any potential monsters that could be headed their way. “And whatever the fuck made those noises, well I’m not just going to sit here and wait around to find out.”

 

Hope walked over to a near by tree next to the side of the road and ripped off a branch. _Okay so still got werewolf strength, now how about magic_. Hope whispers **_Incindea_ **and with slight turn of her hand, the end of the branch was set a flame.

 

Hope smirks at the flame in front of her, as a quick flash of a thought crosses her mind, of a certain witch who loved her fire spells. The thought reminds Hope of her conversation she had with her father about to do next. With a new look of determination on her face, Hope turns and starts walking down the familiar road, praying it will lead her where she knows it should. _Well this is gonna be a long walk._

 

Clarke watches her with intrigue, trying to figure out what she could possibly be planning on doing. “And where do you think you’re going?” He calls out to her, still standing where the two of them had woken up from.

 

Without even turning around Hope responds. “Home."

———————————————————————————————————————

 

As the twins make their way back to their room, Josie can’t get the thought of this mystery girl out of her head. She looks at her sister as they walk back in silence, Josie can tell her sister knows something isn’t right but she needs her sister to verbally confirm her suspicions.

 

As they make it to their floor Josie speaks up, “Have you been having this weird gut feeling today? Like a part of you feels like something is missing and yet you can’t really explain why.”

 

Lizzie stops in her tracks a bit caught off guard by Josie’s question, she knows exactly what her sister is talking about, that’s how she felt at breakfast this morning. Lizzie nods slowly as she speaks, “Yeah I don’t know, it’s just this weird feeling like I know I’m forgetting something but I have no clue what it is.”

 

Josie perks up at her sisters response, _so she does feel it too!_ A slight smile comes across Josie face, happy she isn’t alone with this strange feeling. Before she speaks again the door behind Lizzie catches her attention, they had stopped in front of that missing girls room.

 

Still staring at the door Josie starts to speak before she shifts her attention back to her sister. “Lizzie I think I know why we feel like this, I think it’s because we are missing someone from our life. I don’t know how it happened and I don’t know why but I think it’s because we forgot the girl that lived in that room.” Josie points to the room behind Lizzie causing the girl to look at the room once again, her gaze falling back to Josie once she continues to speak. “And I think she was someone important to us, she meant something to us, she wasn’t just another student.”

 

“How do you know that, how could you be so sure?” Lizzie looks at her sister a bit skeptical.

 

“Because i might have broken into that room last night.” Josie answers quietly as she rubs the back of her neck a bit embarrassed to admit what she did last night.

 

“Wait you did WHAT?! Hold on is that where that sweatshirt came from!?!? Oh my god Josie!” Lizzie exclaimed a bit surprised her sister would do something like this, the big rule follower she was. Lizzie’s sudden outburst caught the attention of a few fellow students who were at the other end of the hall

 

“Shhhhhh! Lizzie!” Josie whisper yells at her sister as she grabs her arm starting to drag her towards their room before she starts to explain further. “Look okay yes, I broke into that room but I don’t know I had this weird pull last night to go in there. Lizzie walking around in that room I don’t know I got this feeling like I’ve been in there before and seeing pictures of this girl I got these like flashes like memories about her, she was apart of our life I just can’t explain what’s happening. There is just so much in there that felt familiar, way too much for it to just be some weird coincidence.”

 

Lizzie remains silent taking in what Josie just said, still trying to piece everything together as they make it back into their room.

 

“Come on I know you feel it too, something just feels off, like sitting at breakfast. You sat down where you did because someone else would take that seat on the end. Lizzie that girl who’s missing always sat right next to you, that was her seat.” Josie adds as they enter their bedroom.

 

Lizzie takes a seat at the foot of her bed, she rubs her face with her hands as she releases a sigh, “Okay you are right, something hasn’t felt right since last night. But i haven’t had any visions of this girl, I don’t know what’s going on Jo it has to be something magical related. Do you think we should ask dad about it?”

 

Josie steps closer to her sister, her mind is starting to race again, unable to stay still Josie starts to pace, “I don’t know, I mean he did call maintenance to clean her room out maybe he can explain why he did it. But that doesn’t explain why we can’t remember her?”

 

“This is one strange mystery.”

 

“Yeah, yeah it is,” Josie starts to make her way over to her desk, her mind is so clouded right now, maybe writing things out with help make things clear. Josie stops in front of her desk to see a jumbled pile of papers.

Josie quickly turns back to her sister and asks her a bit annoyed, “Lizzie did you go through my desk last night?”

 

“What no, why?” Lizzie questioned back acting offended as she walked over to her sisters side of the room.

 

Josie wouldn’t say she’s OCD but she was very organized and put together when it came to most things in her life, her study space included, “Because its a mess, I’ve got papers everywhere over here” she answered gesturing towards the scattered papers that practically covered the entire desk.

 

That’s when something caught Lizzies eye, “Wait whats this?” she reached down to grab a piece of paper that had a name written in big bold letters written across the top of it. “Hope Andrea Mikaelson” Lizzie read out loud. “huh, what the-“ Lizzie fell silent for a moment as she catches the next few lines, but she continues to read them out loud.

 

_“-Hope has been erased from your memories_

_-You need to remember Hope_

_-You have to find Hope_

_-Bring Hope Back Home”_

 

Lizzie turns to Josie with confusion and concern, Josie takes a step closer to get a good look at the piece of paper in her sisters hand, rereading the first few lines to herself. It’s the final 3 lines that catches them both off guard and makes their eyes go wide as Josie takes over and reads them out loud.

 

_“You need to save Hope Mikaelson_

_-Lizzie’s Best Friend_

_-The love of Josie’s life”_

 

Josie’s heart stops, as she reads that final line. _The love of my life? WHAT?! Is this why I’ve felt like there was a whole in my heart, is this why I’ve had this sinking feeling all night because I forgotten someone so important in my life, because I lost MY Hope. Hope Mikaelson._ Josie suddenly stumbles a bit, one hand grasping her desk chair for support as the other reaches for her temple as a sudden rush of pain overtakes her.

 

Possibly the worst headache she’s ever experienced over loads her senses when suddenly another flash of memories hit her like a blow to the head. This one actually hurts compared to the last two times as it feels like hundred of memories run through her brain. Memories from when they were about six years old to what might have been yesterday came rushing back, like flood gates had just opened up. Flashes of those blue eyes and amazing smile throughout the years consume her. It’s like reading her name triggered something in her brain to remember, as memories of what feels like almost every moment she ever spoke this girls name became clear again.

_“Hi I’m Hope Marshall”_

 

_“Hi Hope, I’m Josie”_

_“Hey Hope”_

_“Hope come on”_

_“Hope want to play”_

_“Hey Hope want to be my lab partner?”_

_“Oh my god Hope are you okay?”_

_“So your name is actually Hope Mikaelson?”_

_“Hope do you want to sit with us?”_

_“Hope what do I do?”_

_“Hope I’m so sorry”_

_“Come on Hope open the door.”_

_“Hope, I’m here if you need anything okay?”_

_“Hope why do you always have to poke?”_

_“Hi Hope”_

_“Hope?”_

_“Hope.”_

_“Hope”_

_“Hope!”_

_“Hope”_

_“Hope-”_

_“Hope”_

_“I had a crush on you.”_

 

The memories stop for a moment and Josie thinks it’s finally over when a memory from a conversation she had last night, that she definitely didn’t remember until now, hits her.

 

_“Hope please, you can’t do this!”_

_“Please Hope”_

_“I can’t lose you Hope”_

_“Hope look, if you care about me, like I care about you…If you love me like I have always loved you then please don’t make me say goodbye to you and just come home.”_

 

“I love you so much Josie…and that’s why I have to do this. Goodbye Josie.”

 

_“HOPE!”_

 

A single tear rolls down Josie’s cheek as her hand drops from her head down to her chest, fingers quickly finding the necklace that hung around her neck. Josie is breathing a little heavier now, trying to process everything that came rushing back to her, trying to process all the emotions she feels right now.

 

“Jo, Josie are you okay?” Lizzie asks scared of what’s going on with her sister, her hand on her back trying to help support her. She looks at Josie with fear in her eyes, not understanding what just caused her sister pain and why there were now tears falling from her eyes.

 

Josie takes a breath and shuts her eyes as she tries to steady her breathing before she speaks again, but her voice cracks when she says, “I remember.”

 

“What do you remember Jo?”

 

Josie turns her head and looks at Lizzie with tear filled eyes as she whispers, “Hope…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JOSIE REMEMBERS! but how much does she remember? So just going to warn you all now, I don't know how often I'll be able to update this story. I've had a bunch of other stories swirling around in my head so that has been a bit distracting but I might be posting new stories soon. Who knows, I'm hoping I'll be able to maybe update this story once a week but unfortunately life has been a bit unpredictable for me lately I can't make any guarantees.
> 
> Again I really appreciate all the Kudos and comments! Let me know what y'all thought of this chapter and if you have any ideas for where you hope to see this story go or any potential new story ideas y'all would want to read.
> 
> Thanks again!


	5. We Were Her Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again, sorry y'all if it felt like forever since I last updated, I've been having major writers block lately. I know this chapter is a little shorter than what I usually post but I wanted to get something posted for you all. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Thanks again for reading and as always apologies for any spelling/grammatical errors!

“Who’s Hope?”

 

“Hope, Lizzie! The girl that’s missing, the one who’s room was being cleaned out, the one we can’t remember! Lizzie I remember her.” Josie explained, a hint of excitement and relief in her voice, at her recovered memories.

 

Lizzie isn’t quite convinced though, “No Jo that can’t be right, someone is just messing with us. This has to be some sort of screwed up prank.” Lizzie shakes her head in disbelief.

 

“Lizzie it’s not a prank,” Josie’s hand starts to shake as she traces the words on the note with her hand “that’s my handwriting, I wrote this note.”

 

Josie turns her attention back towards her desk and Lizzie quickly follows. Just scanning over the several sheets of paper they kept noticing the same name on all of them, _Hope_. Lizzie picks up a couple pieces of paper noticing more familiar handwriting this time, and she realizes it was her own, “Jo, I wrote these.” She shared as she handed over the sheets of paper to her sister. Josie looks at Lizzie before she turns her attention back to the piece of paper and starts to read what her sister wrote out loud.

 

“You have to remember Hope Mikaelson, you’ve waited 10 years to be her friend, you can’t forget about her now. Yes you two have had your differences and you bugged and poked at each other for the past decade but you were finally in a good place and you were happy. You are happy, you and your sister have finally become good friends with her.” Small smiles started to appear on both of the young girls faces, they continued to look at the piece of paper as Josie read on.

 

_“-She knows you’re bipolar…”_

 

This first bullet point catches them both a little off guard, causing the twins to look at each other, there is a look of understanding between them. They know by that line alone Hope truly was someone important in their lives. Besides their parents no one else at school knew about Lizzie being bipolar and for Hope to know this meant something. Josie continued to read off Lizzies bullet points.

 

_“-she doesn’t care if you’re broken”_

 

Josie squeezes Lizzies hand as she read that line.

 

_“-she’s been broken too_

_-she respects you and would never judge or make fun of you_

_-she cares about your sister, she loves your sister”_

 

This time, it’s Lizzie’s turn to squeeze her sisters hand.

 

_“-she cares about you too_

_-Dad cares about her, he treats her like she’s part of the family”_

 

Again the sisters look at one another. For their Father to have cared for another student like family…yeah she was definitely not just another student around here.

 

_“-she’s protected the both of you, she’s saved both of your lives_

_-she has saved this school and the students on multiple occasions_

_-she’s sacrificing herself to save everyone_

_-she’s a badass_

_-she’s a hero_

_-she’s your best friend (other than Josie of course)”_

 

Josie's brain started to spin again as she finished reading the last bullet point, both girls just looked at each other with a mix of shock, confusion and hurt.“What the hell happened last night?” Lizzie questioned, a tear running down her cheek desperate for some sort of answer, for some clarity.

 

“I don’t know,” Josie answered honestly.

 

“Jo I don’t understand, how are you able to remember her and I can’t. Why can’t I remember Hope, why can’t I remember someone so important in our life?” Tears started to well up in Lizzie’s eyes, how could she forget her best friend, why was this happening.

 

“I don’t know Lizzie,” Josie can feel her sisters pain, yes she remembers Hope but there are still a lot of missing pieces in her memories, gaps with bits of information still lost. Josie hugs her sister, Lizzie’s hands had started shaking out of anger, frustration and even sadness. Josie held onto her sister tightly, letting the tears stain her shirt as Lizzie let everything out. Once she felt her sister starting to calm down in her grasp Josie continued to speak, “Lets keep checking these notes, we had to have written something down that will help us figure out why this happened and hopefully how we can fix this.” The brunette twin tells her sister as she wipes away the remaining tears from her twins face.

 

Josie starts to organize all of the sheets of paper that were scattered on her desk trying to make neat piles. For now she just split them up into two piles, the ones they have read about Hope and the other all of the pages they haven’t touched yet. Josie picks up a few papers she could easily tell she had written, they were all about Hope, she started to read her notes aloud.

 

The first piece of paper seemed to give a little bit of background about Hope.

 

_“Hope Mikaelson_

_\- Daughter of Klaus Mikaelson (The original vampire Hybrid aka The Great Evil) and Haley Marshall (Werewolf Alpha of the Crescent wolves, eventually turned Hybrid)_

_\- Hope lost both of her parents, they both died protecting Hope, they both died sacrificing themselves so she could live._

_\- Hope is the one and only Tribrid, she’s a witch, werewolf, and vampire. She’s had her witch powers since she was young and she activated her wolf side about 3 years ago, she hasn’t activated her vampire side, that will only happen if she is killed.”_

 

Reading those words sent a sharp pain through Josie’s heart, even the slightest thought about Hope possibly dying terrified her. Even if she can barely remember her, she doesn’t even want to imagine the thought of Hope dying. Josie shook the thought from her mind and continued to read aloud the details about Hope she had left herself to find.

 

She had written a lot about Hope, from what she knew about her family and her life down in New Orleans to when Hope came to the school and how she had originally introduced herself as Hope Marshall. She wrote about her hiding the facts of who her father was and how she was a tribrid. Josie wrote about the year everything changed for Hope, from losing her mom, to details about her father coming to the school asking them for their help. She wrote about her and Lizzie pulling the Hollow out of Hope and putting it into Klaus, and finally how Klaus killed himself to protect Hope and essentially the world from the evil that was the Hollow.

 

Josie’s heart broke for Hope, this girl suffered through more loss than anyone should in such a short period of time at such a young age. A few tears fell from Josie’s eyes as once again flashes of memories passed through her mind. Lizzie noticed the sudden change again, she stood behind her sister and hugged her from behind, resting her chin on Josie’s shoulder.

 

“Jo maybe we should take a break from looking at these, all of this seems way too overwhelming for you right now.” Lizzie was getting worries. This was hitting Josie a lot worse than it was for her, yes it hurt Lizzie to learn about this girl that meant so much to them but she still couldn’t remember her.

 

“No,” Josie shook her head quickly, “We have to figure this out Lizzie, we have to find Hope.”

 

Lizzie gave her another squeeze, “Okay if you’re sure.”

 

Josie moved on to the next page and she could feel her heart starting to race again reading the first line.

 

_“What Hope means to you.”_

 

Josie hesitates, not quite sure if she was ready to know this side of Hope, not quite sure if she’s ready for this flood of memories to hit her. She takes a deep breathe before she reads out loud again.

 

_“What Hope means to you._

  * _You’ve always wanted to be Hope’s friend_
  * _Since the day you met her, something about her made you want to get to know her._
  * _But Hope kept her distance, now you know she only did that because she was hiding who she was, she only stayed away because she was afraid what would happen if people found out who she really was._
  * _You had a crush on Hope, you really liked her, and somehow you got the courage to write her a note. But it all didn’t turn out the way you had planned.”_



 

This made Josie scared to read on _, did Hope reject me? How did this go wrong?_

 

_“-You were afraid of Lizzie finding out about your crush, you were afraid Lizzie would go after Hope like she had done with all of your other crushes. So you tried to keep it a secret because Hope was the one person you didn’t want to lose to Lizzie.”_

 

It was Lizzies turn to feel a bit of pain in her heart hearing this _, was I really that bad of a sister?_

 

_“-So you told a lie, a lie that basically put a wedge between Lizzie and Hope for the next three years, one that ended up keeping you away from Hope as well. But worst of all you panicked when you left the note for Hope, all your doubt and insecurities about how Hope would react made its way to the surface. So instead of taking a chance of letting Hope see the note, you tried a fire spell under her door to hit the note, you ended up causing a fire that would burn up half of Hope’s stuff.”_

 

_“-You finally confessed to Hope and Lizzie about what you did. Lizzie forgave you and apologized for making you feel like you had to hide all of this from her, for being a bad sister, she promised she would be better.”_

 

_“-Hope, Hope didn’t even care about the fire, she didn’t yell and scream at you for destroying her room, for burning the only painting she made with her dad. She just forgave you without a second thought. She wasn’t offended or disgusted by your crush, she didn’t make it awkward or seem displeased with what you had to say. Hope just smiled at you, with nothing but love in her eyes, and asked you “You had a crush on me?”_

 

At this point Josie isn’t surprised as more memories start filling in all the holes, she clearly sees Hope’s reaction, that smile and that gleam in her eyes. The look she gives her makes Josie’s chest feel warm, she feels loved and safe. There was no judgement or hate, Hope looked happy, like she was happy to know Josie had feelings for her. Josie wipes away a stray tear as she begins to read again.

 

  * _Hope has defended you._
  * _Hope has protected you._
  * _Hope has listened to you._
  * _She’s heard you when it seemed like no one else did._
  * _She’s the one that gave you the Talisman for your birthday._
  * _She’s the reason you’re alive after being buried. She found you with some help from MG and Penelope._
  * _She gave you the talisman to help you be heard, because it makes “quiet things heard”, she gave you the talisman so others could hear you like she did._



 

_Again the memories start filling in the whole picture. Her fingers start tracing the talisman around her neck as she finishes reading the final line on the piece of paper._

 

  * _She wrote you a note that you keep in your top left desk drawer_



 

_The top left drawer? Thats the one I keep some of my favorite things._ It’s where Josie kept some of her favorite photos, cards and notes she’s gotten over the years. She’d go back through them when she was having a rough day and needed a little pick me up.

 

Josie quickly opened up her desk drawer to find the note she wrote to herself about sitting right on top, the note Hope had written to her with the talisman. As she grabbed the piece of red paper she noticed some photos underneath it. Josie placed the note on the desk with the rest of the papers as she started to pull out two photos. The first photo looks like it was taken at the talent show, it was a candid shot of the twins and Hope.

 

It looked like Hope and herself were pulling away from a hug, big smiles on both of their faces, their arms still around each other. Lizzie was next to Josie with a proud smile on her face and her hand on Josie’s shoulder, which is why Josie assumes she had turned her attention to Lizzie instead of Hope. They were still on stage _, so Hope ran on stage just to congratulate me, to give me a hug?_ Then again the memory flashed through Josie’s mind, the cheers from their classmates, the look of pride on both Lizzie and Hope’s faces, the rush of butterflies Josie got from Hope’s embrace.

 

Josie looked at the second photo and she let out a bit of a gasp a mixture of disbelief and recognition. It was the same photo from Hope’s room, the framed photo that was laying on her bed. Lizzie looked at Josie a little confused as to why this photo was making her sister tear up. Josie simply handed the photo to her sister and she went over to her bed to grab the framed photo. She held the framed photo for Lizzie to see, as she spoke, “I found this on Hope’s desk.”

 

Lizzie puts the photo in her hand up against the framed one in Josies hand, “It’s the same exact photo,” Lizzie whispers out, “Look at the three of us.”

 

The twins looked at the photos in almost amazement, then Josie said something that hit the both of them pretty hard. “This was the only photo in her room that didn’t include her family.”

 

Lizzie turned her head so quickly to Josie, she was surprised she didn’t hear a snap. The sisters looked at one another, each with tears starting to form in their eyes with realization at what this simple fact meant. “Lizzie, we were her family too.”

 

They both let their arms fall to their sides, both in a bit of a state of shock, still processing everything that they have learned. It was all too much for Josie, she collapses into her sisters arms and Lizzie catches her just in time to guide the both of them to the ground. Lizzie moves them around so she was cradling Josie in her arms as they sat on the floor. Lizzie holding her tightly with everything she has, as she felt Josie shaking from her sobs. “Shhhh, it’s okay Jo, we are going to figure this out. We are going to find Hope and we are going to bring her home.”

 

_——————————————————————————————————————_

 

Hope was still walking down that empty road for what had felt like over an hour but she couldn’t be sure, from what she could tell there wasn’t really a sense of time here so she couldn’t be certain how long it has been since she got to this world. She had continued walking on the asphalt road when she notices a gas station up a head of her, _oh please tell me I’m right about this._ Hope started to jog towards the gas station praying her assumption was right. She lets out a sigh of relief when she notices a car in the parking lot. _Yes!_

 

Hope picked up her pace a little almost sprinting to the trunk in the parking lot. She managed to open the drivers side door with no problem and then her search for the keys began. After a few minutes of searching Hope released a frustrated groan.

 

“Aaaand no keys. Of course it can’t be that easy.” Hope speaks to herself, luckily for Hope, her uncle Kol had taught her how to hot wire a car. Yeah its a long story but she’s definitely grateful for this mischievous life lesson. Hope pops open the panel under the steering wheel and starts messing with the wires underneath until she hears the roar of the engine. “YES! Thank you Uncle Kol.” Hope quickly checks the stats of the car, _okay full tank of gas, all my mirrors are good, tire pressure is good, alright I’m good to go._

 

Hope shuts her door and buckles herself in but right before she switches the car into drive, her passenger side door opens and Agent Clarke takes a seat next to her. “What the hell are you doing here.”

 

“You really think I was just going to let you leave me behind did you.” Clarke asked with a smirk.

 

“Yeah pretty much, now get out.” Hope was about to do a spell to push him out of the car when Clarke cut her off as he raised his hands up in surrender.

 

“Now, easy there. Before you go blasting me out of this car consider the asset I could be for you. I know Malivore better than anyone else, I can help get the both of us out of here.” Clarke tries to plead his case. He did make a point, although he hadn’t been that helpful so far.

 

“Uh huh, well you haven’t been that helpful when it comes to figuring out where the hell we are right now” Hope gave him a skeptical look, maybe he had been lying before and maybe this little push would help get him to give her some helpful information.

 

“Look I really don’t know where we are but if I’d have to guess this is my fathers own personal hell. The fact that we are in a world very similar to the one we know just with no one else here, yeah this is hell for him it’s like his own prison.” Clarke answers his hands still raised to Hope as he explains his thinking.

 

Hope sighs, as much as she HATES to admit it, Clarke might actually be helpful in her attempts to escape from this place. She rubs at her temples already prepared for the headache that was going to come with her response. “Alright…you can come, but not a word or so help me-“

 

“What you don’t want me to give you an entire history lesson about my father on the way to wherever it is you want to-“ Hope quickly cuts Clarke off with a wave of her hand as she says **_Silenceo._**

 

Clarke starts to panic a little as his mouth basically disappears, unable to speak, he tries to glare at Hope but she just gives him that same look she gave him before the two of them went into the pit. “Seriously I thought you would have learned by now,” that glare starts to shift a little as Hope can now see a bit of fear in Clarke’s eyes at the potential of what else Hope could do.

 

“Now are we good to go or am I going to have to knock you out as well?” Hope questions him with a tilt of her head and a raised eye brow, daring Clarke to test her. Clarke just shook his head and point for her to start driving.

 

Hope just smirks at his response and she switches the truck into drive to begin their journey home, _Mystic Falls here we come._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all, thoughts? Is there anything you guys really want to happen or think might happen? Let me know!


	6. A/N

**Author's Note:**

 

Hi everyone so sorry to disappoint you all with this update being an Author's Note instead of a new chapter, I just wanted to apologize for how long it's taken me to put out a new chapter.

 

It's been a bit of a rough couple of weeks for me dealing with some personal stuff so my brain has been a bit everywhere lately. I really do appreciate all the love I've gotten from this story (along with my other two stories) and I want to continue to post good chapters for you all. However dealing with my personal stuff hasn't helped my anxiety issue which makes it harder for me to deal with my Dyslexia which makes my anxiety go up even more, so you know got to love dealing with all this during mental health awareness month.

 

Anyway I just wanted to tell you all thank you for being patient and again for all the comments and kudos, I really do appreciate it. I promise a new chapter will be posted on here soon and I've also have 6 other stories that I've started writing which is another reason why it's taken me so long, my brain keeps jumping between story ideas. In the mean time if any of you would like to leave a comment with story ideas of things you would want to see in this story or story prompts please me a message down below! 

 

Thank you again and much love!


	7. Only One Way To Find Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a new update, I'm sorry again for how long this took. Again I appreciate you all so much for reading and for all the love. Hope you enjoy this chapter and hopefully it was worth the wait. 
> 
> Like always, thank you again for reading and apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors.

It had been about an hour since Josie had passed out in Lizzie’s arms, completely exhausted and emotionally drained from their morning discoveries. Lizzie had been cradling her sister in her arms until she felt her breathing finally start to even out, indicating Josie had finally fallen asleep. The blonde twin managed to carry her sister back to her bed, the framed photo still held tightly in Josie’s hands. She carefully tucked Josie into bed to let her rest as she sat down on the bed opposite of her. Lizzie’s heart broke as she watched her sister sleep, she’s never seen Josie in this much pain before, even when she had broken up with Penelope she never looked this distraught. Even with her eyes shut Lizzie could see how puffy Josie’s eyes were from sobbing, she could feel the sting around her own eyes feeling her twins pain.

 

Lizzie has always been the broken one and Josie has always been her rock the one that was there to care for her, but now Lizzie was on the other side watching her sister break into tiny pieces and it terrified her. Lizzie didn’t know what to do, how was she supposed to comfort her sister about losing someone she couldn’t even remember. She ran her fingers through her hair as she let out a deep sigh. _What the hell are we going to do?_ Lizzie thought as she let her hand fall back to the bed when she suddenly felt a different material than the comforter under her fingers. Lizzie looked down to find the sweatshirt Josie had been wearing when she had woken up that morning, it was Hope’s sweatshirt. She ran her fingers across the New Orleans script as she looked back up at her sisters sleeping form.

 

At that moment Lizzie promised herself, she was going to do everything she possibly could to help find the answers they needed to remember Hope and to figure out how to bring her back. She stood from the bed and placed the sweatshirt besides her sisters sleeping form before she turned back to her sisters desk, to look over the rest of the notes they had wrote for themselves. Determined and a bit desperate to find anything that would help solve this mystery.

 

———————————————————————————————————————

 

Hope had to admit there was one advantage of being in this empty prison world, no cops to stop you from driving waaay over the speed limit. Not long into their drive Hope decided to put a protection/boundary spell on the car after almost running into a creature. She’s pretty certain it was a Griffin although part of her wants to argue that would be too Harry Potter esc but then again it wouldn’t be the most ridiculous creature she has seen since this all started.

 

After what felt like hours of driving, Hope started to anxiously tap her thumbs against the steering wheel as the scenery started becoming more and more familiar to her. She was getting nervous as they got closer to their destination, she still wasn’t 100 percent sure if this world was a true parallel to their world. She couldn’t be sure if the school would actually be there or maybe it would be but would it be the same school she left behind. Hope kept anxiously looking around at their surroundings, she could only assume they were almost back at Mystic Falls. It wasn’t like she could go off of how like they had been driving, she couldn’t go off of time because there was no measure of time here. Looking up at the sky there was no shift in the darkness, no hint of any sort of time passing and although the car has a clock, the time on it hadn’t changed she they got in it.

 

When Hope finally makes the familiar final turn that leads to the school she subconsciously holds her breathe, fearing the worst and that all this driving was for nothing. She releases a huge sigh of relief as the Salvatore School gates come into view. This brought a slight smile to her face seeing the familiar school, that is until she is rudely pulled from her thoughts by agent Clarke relentlessly poking at her shoulder to get her attention. Quite honestly Hope had almost completely forgotten about her passenger, truly enjoying the silence. Clarke glared at her when she finally turned her attention towards him, then he gestured to where his mouth once was, clearly asking for Hope to undo the spell. Reluctantly Hope granted his request and waved her hand in front of his mouth whispering a spell that undid her previous one.

 

“Was that really necessary?” Clarke questioned her clearly annoyed, dramatically touching his face and moving his jaw around to make sure everything was back to normal.

 

Hope let out a light chuckle as she parked the car in front of the school and shut off the engine. “No but it did lower the chances of me doing any other spells on you.” She responded giving him a wicked grin, which subconsciously made Clarke slightly flinch at the thought of what else Hope could have done to him.

 

“So why did we drive all the way up here?” Clarke questioned as they exited the car and head towards the front door.

 

“Well if this is a parallel world to our normal one, then the library here is our best chance at finding a way out of this prison?” Hope answers as they entered into the main hall.

 

Before she can take another step though, Hope freezes for a moment, everything was exactly the same and for a brief moment Hope almost forgets she’s in a prison world. It feels like she’s back at school, she stares into the common room prepared to see Pedro and the other little ones running around chasing each other as other students talk and hangout on the couches. Hope quickly turned her head down the hall almost expecting to see her friends walking towards her, she expects to see MG trying to tell Lizzie some corny joke with Kaleb giving him shit for how bad it was. She expects to see Lizzie laughing more at the vamps interaction than at MG’s actual jokes, as Rafael and Jed bicker behind them about some werewolf stuff. Hope looks down the hall expecting to see soft brown eyes starring back at her as Josie gives her a warm smile; but she’s not there, none of them are.

 

Hope quickly shakes the thought from her mind and silently leads Clarke to the library. As they make their way into the room, Hope makes a b-line straight for one of the search dials and starts turning the wheels to form the words for her desired search.

 

“What exactly are you hoping to find?” Clarke asks as Hope turns the final letter and shifts her attention to the bookshelves. They both look around the room to see several books extend out from the rest of the books just waiting to be grabbed off the shelves.

 

“For one, we’ve got to see if there is anything in here about prison worlds,” Hope begins to answer as she starts to stack the waiting books on the table in front of the agent, “if we can understand this place a little better maybe we can figure out how the hell we can get out of here.”

 

Hope then starts fiddling with the search dial again, changing the letters to form a new phrase. Clarke looks at the dial curiously to see what else Hope could be searching for, he watches as she spells out C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-NS-P-E-L-L-S. He looks at her quizzically waiting for her to explain as Hope finally looks back up at him."We also need to figure out how we could get a message back to my friends, if I can tell them where we are maybe they can help us from their end.” Hope tells him as she starts to pull out the latest collection of books.

 

“How does reaching out to them help us? They don’t remember us, we should be wiped away from their memories, so why would they listen to anything we have to say.” Clarke questions Hope as he watches her start to scan through the books in front of her.

 

Hope pauses as she hesitated with her response, she still didn’t trust Agent Clarke at all, so she debated on how much info she wanted to reveal. She knows he had been listening in on her conversation before they both jumped in but she wasn’t quite sure how much he had actually heard. If he catches her in a lie it could make this all the more complicated and she already knew there was a possibility for him to turn on her, don’t need to give him another reason for him to potentially do so.

 

So she stops from scanning the book in front of her and looks up at Clarke in the eyes as she answers, “You don’t know my friends, they are stubborn and determined, I know I might have asked them to forget and just let me go, but there’s no way they were going to accept my request.”

 

“So you don’t think that headmaster of yours burned all trace of you from the school?” He asks with a skeptical look.

 

_Okay so he did hear at least the last half of my conversation with Dr. Saltzman_. “No I truly believe Dr. Saltzman would keep his promise, his daughters however, they are a different story.”

 

Clarke gave Hope this look that clearly indicated to her he was trying to study her face to see if there was any sort of hint of a lie or deception. Technically she wasn’t lying and even if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes as she stood next to her father in purgatory, Hope would have bet money the twins weren’t going to just let Hope go without a fight.

 

“Well, alright then. I guess we’ve got some reading to do.” He answers with a smirk as he takes a seat at the table and begins to search through the books in front of him.

 

After about 3 hours of researching Hope was beginning to get frustrated, there was a lot of information on communication spells but so far nothing seemed to be helpful or even plausible in their current situation. Like seriously how was the “History of Communication Spells”, supposed to help them? She looked over at Clarke who had a stack of books ear marked for them to look back at later.Hope sighed and rubbed at her temples in frustration, after taking another deep breathe she shut the book in front of her and moved on to a new one.

 

Now this latest book she was on seemed to be a little more promising, Hope scanned the pages in front of her when she comes across a warning spell. _Hmm warning spell this might be it,_ Hope thinks to herself as she begins reading.

 

**_Warning Spell:_ ** _A spell that allows a witch to send a message or a warning to their target.The spell must be performed by drawing power from the candle's flames. In order to send a message to the target, a witch must write the symbols with salt. The same symbols will then be carved as a wound into the target's wrist. The spell is bound by a candle's flame, therefore, when that flame is extinguished, the target's wound will disappear._

 

_Oh hell no, I’m not carving anything into Josie’s arm, there has to be something else._ Hope was definitely not willing to cause Josie any harm but this gave her a little hope that this book was going to hold some sort of answer. After flipping through a few more chapters Hope finally found something that might be able to help them. “I think I found something.” She stated as she straightened her posture in her seat.

 

“What do you got?” Clarke asks lifting his head from his latest book.

 

“A messenger spell.” Hope answered as Clarke gave her a bit of a confused look. Hope goes on to read what she found out loud, “It’s a spell that is able to send messages across space by destroying a message with fire only to be transported and appear to the intended recipient.”

 

“Okay, but does that space include between worlds.” He asks the legitimate question about their current situation.

 

Hope’s brow scrunched as she searched the pages in front of her for an answer to Clarke’s question. It seemed to be the simple or traditional version of this spell, taking a closer look Hope suddenly remembers something her aunt Freya once told her and Hope gets an idea of where else they need to look.

 

“I don’t think this spell will work between worlds but I think I know one that will.” Hope shuts the book and starts to head out the door with Clarke quickly following behind her.

 

It wasn’t long before Hope lead the two of them back to what would be her dorm room, Hope practically sprinted to her desk praying to find this worlds copy of her Aunt Freya’s grimoire. Hope smiled wide when she saw the familiar book laying on top of the desk in front of her. With Clarke still standing by the doorway Hope picked up the grimoire and began flipping through the pages as she began to pace around the room. Clarke could see the focused look on the young tribrid’s face, he did not dare disturb her, he could tell the wheels were turning in her head and as much as he wanted to make some sort of snarky or sarcastic comment to her he knew she was his best chance to get out of her.

 

Hope continued to pace around the room as she scanned the pages of Freya’s grimoire, she couldn’t stop moving until she saw a familiar spell and she practically froze. Freya had explained to Hope early on in her witch training how there are a lot of traditional spells that witches can learn but there isn’t necessarily a spell for everything and how sometimes there are spells that aren’t quite exactly how you need them to be. So sometimes we need to tweak the original spell to make it work how we need it to and the example her Aunt Freya gave her was a message spell that Hope just happened to be looking at right now. Hope smiled once again as she reads over the spell and realizes this is exactly what they need.

 

She looks up at Clarke who was still patiently waiting in the doorway for her to speak, “This is gonna work.” A bit of a smirk appears on Clarke’s lips at her words.

 

“Okay what do we need.” He asks ready to get this spell going.

 

“Open up that trunk” Hope orders as she points to the trunk in the corner in of the room, “find me a candle, some matches, herbs, salt and some paper.” Hope reads off the items she needs out loud except for the final item, that she just repeats in her head to herself. _A possession of the intended recipient._ Hope had to think for a moment where in this world she was going to find something of Josie’s to use for the spell, nothing from this world would actually be Josie’s, that’s when it hit her. She quickly pulled her jacket off and looked down at her left wrist and let out a breathe Hope didn’t even realize she was holding. There, hanging on her wrist was Josie’s bracelet, the one she gave her during Miss Mystic Falls. Hope couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her lips as she looked down at the silver chain and thought about the girl who gave it to her.

 

_During all the craziness of preparing for MMF, Hope had been getting ready in the twins room Lizzie insisting they help with Hope’s hair and makeup. Satisfied with the results, Lizzie had run off to double check on a few last minute changes to make sure everything was perfect, leaving Josie and Hope all alone in the twins room. All Hope had left was deciding on the jewelry she would wear, as she finished putting her earrings in she turned towards Josie who was finishing up her own make up, “Is this okay? I don’t need anything else do I?”_

 

_Josie turned her full attention to the older girl giving her a once over, causing Hope’s cheeks to heat up a little as she watched the taller girl smirk as she rose from her desk to make her way towards her. “I mean, I don’t know how the judges would feel about the robe.”_

 

_“Oh shut up, you know what I mean.”_

 

_This only caused Josie to laugh, “Relax Hope you look amazing.” Josie stopped a few feet in front of her to look Hope over again, her eyes trailing down to Hope’s hands and wrists. “Do you have any rings or bracelets?”_

 

_“Um not really, well nothing that matches this stuff Lizzie gave me to wear.” Hope answers as she watches Josie head towards her dresser shuffling through some box sitting on top of it._

 

_Before Hope can even ask her what she was looking for, Josie was standing in front of her again taking Hope’s left hand in her own lifting it up between them, “Here, you can wear this.” Josie tells her as she wraps this silver chain around her wrist. Hope can feel a chill run up her arm from the cool material on her skin but she could also feel her skin burn from the gentle graze of Josie’s fingertips as she fiddled with the clasp._

 

_Josie slowly pulled her hands away from Hope’s wrist when she was sure the bracelet was properly latched on. Hope looked down at the new material on her wrist, the cool silver chain hanging off as the name plate laid flat against her skin. Hope’s brow raised a little in curiosity as she ran her thumb across what she expected to be Josie’s name engraved into the silver material but instead there was this series of Roman numerals,_ **_III-XV-MMXIV_ ** _. Josie quickly could see Hope’s confusion and began to explain, “It was a present from my mom, she got me and Lizzie matching ones.” Hope was still looking down at the bracelet so Josie decided to continued._

 

_“It’s the Roman numeral date for our birthday.”_

“Your birthday.”

 

_Hope had spoke at the same time as Josie, not taking her eyes off of the bracelet. Josie was a bit surprised, looking at Hope a little shocked the older girl knew the date was her birthday, “You know when my birthday is?”_

 

_Hope chuckled as she finally looked up at the girl in front of her, “Really Josie? I actually gave you a present on your birthday this year, plus I’ve known you for over a decade.” It was Josie’s turn for her cheeks to go a little red as she rubbed the back of her neck and laughed a little at herself for forgetting those details._

 

_“Ha yeah, guess you are right.”_

 

_Hope just smiles at her, before she looks back down at the bracelet. “Are you sure you want to let me borrow this? I don’t want mess it up or lose this and it seems really special to you.”_

 

_“Yes of course I’m sure, I trust you Hope or else I wouldn’t have put it on you in the first place.” Josie answers Hope’s concerns with a sweet smile._

 

_She believes her but Hope still gives her a bit of a skeptical look as she decides to tease her a little, “If you and Lizzie have matching bracelets, how do I know you didn’t just give me Lizzie’s in case I weren’t sure I’d break it or lose it?”_

 

_Josie laughs at Hope’s question before she responds, “Well because,” she starts as she takes a step closer into Hope’s personal space. Josie lifts up Hope’s arm a little higher for her to get a better view of the piece of jewelry, “my name is on the inside.” Hope watches as Josie flips the name plate up just enough for her to see “Josette” written in a cursive script._

 

_Hope smile’s a little wider seeing the younger girls name, “Alright, I guess I accept your answer.” Josie just shake’s her head at Hope’s response and smiles back at the older girl._

 

_“Well I’m glad that’s settled. Now, go finish getting ready!” Josie instructs her as she starts to walk back to her desk to finish her make up. Hope watched Josie for a moment before she decided to finally head back to her room, a small smirk apparent on her face._

 

_After all the the drama and emotional chaos that was Miss. Mystic Falls, Hope had pretty much forgotten about Josie’s bracelet. Josie hadn’t mentioned anything about it to her afterwards and Hope hadn’t even noticed she was still wearing it, the way the piece of jewelry felt on Hope’s wrist seemed so familiar as if she had always worn it. It wasn’t until that moment at Triad headquarters when she caught the final artifact in her hand with her arm extended out in front of her, this little shine peaking through the edge of her jacket sleeve caught her attention. The lights above her hit the bracelet just right for Hope to notice it on her wrist, she smiled a little wider at the reminder of what she was fighting for._

 

Hope ran her thumb against the engraved date, her heart a little heavy missing the girl the bracelet belonged to. She unclasped the bracelet from her wrist turning it over catching sight at Josie’s name, Hope smirked as a new found sense of determination to get home over took her.

 

Clarke quickly made his way back over to Hope in the center of the room, handing over her requested items. He silently watched as Hope started placing the different items on the floor, making the necessary shapes and symbols with the salt and herbs. After she placed the candle in the final spot in the center of it all, she took one of the pieces ofpaper and began writing a note she desperately prayed would make its way to Josie. Finally ready to try the spell Hope settled herself on the ground, she takes a breathe as she picks up the box of matches.

 

“You really think this is going to work?” Clarke asks one final time.

 

“Well, there is only one way to find out.” Hope answers as she strikes the match and lights the candle in front on her.

 

Clarke takes a step back as Hope starts the spell as she begins to chant the words in her Aunts grimoire. **_Touve mon se kavo. Touve mon se kavo_** _._ Hope continues the incantation as she clutches onto Josie’s bracelet in one hand and the note for the younger girl in the other. Hope holds the note about an inch above the flame as she thinks about where she wants the note to go, who she wants the note to find. She watches as the flame rises from the candle wick and starts to consume the note in her hand. Hope releases the note and watches as it stays in place as the flame continues to spread. As it reaches the top of the note Hope says the incantation one final time with a little emphasis, **_Touve mon se kavo_** _._ With a pop and a crackle like a spark the note was gone, leaving no trace of it behind.

 

Hope takes a breathe and looks down at the bracelet still in her hand, _please work._

 

“So what do we do now?”

 

“Now, all we can do is wait."

 

———————————————————————————————————————

 

Josie finally started to stir from her nap, she was a bit dazed as she groggily opened her eyes, her head feeling like she was hit with a bat. She tried to rub the sleep away from her eyes and when Josie let her hand fall back to the bed she felt a familiar comforting material under her fingers. She looked down to find Hope’s sweatshirt and the framed photo right beside her. A small smile made its way onto her face, then it all came running back to her, why she had broken down earlier causing that smile to disappear. Josie looked back up to see Lizzie hunched over at her desk, clearly not aware Josie was awake.

 

“Lizzie?” Josie tried to call out her voice a bit hoarse from earlier.

 

“Josie?” Lizzie quickly turned her attention to her sister as she got up from the desk and rushed over to her sister’s side. She tucked some of the loose hair out of Josie’s face as she asked her, “how are you feeling?”

 

“A little better, still have a bit of a headache although I’m not sure if it’s from the flood of memories or from all the crying.” Josie answered as she tried to sit up, causing Lizzie to stand up to give her some room. Josie looks back up to her sister as she asks, while pointing to her desk, “What have you been up to?”

 

"I’ve been going through all the notes we left ourselves and I think I actually found some stuff that can help us understand what happened to Hope.” Lizzie tells her with a hint of excitement and pride in her voice.

 

“Show me.” Josie instructs as she gets out of the bed, putting the framed photo down on the nightstand and throwing Hope’s sweatshirt on. As Lizzie makes it back to the desk, Josie pulls up a chair next to her sister.

 

With Josie’s full attention on her Lizzie turns to her as she speak, “It’s Malivore.”

 

“Malivore?”

 

“Yeah here take a look at this,” Lizzie instructs as she hands Josie one of their notes. Josie takes the piece of paper and starts to read:

 

_Malivore_

  * _he’s Landon’s father_
  * _Agent Clarke from Triad found the final key and opened up the portal_
  * _Malivore was made with the blood of a witch, a werewolf and a vampire, only the blood of all three could destroy him._
  * _when a creature is thrown into the pit, they are erased from existence, no one remembers them._
  * _That’s why you don’t remember Hope, she sacrificed herself and jumped into the pit. She’s the loophole, she’s the Tribrid answer._
  * _Landon has more answers, ask Landon when he gets back._



 

 

“So Hope jumped into the Malivore pit and that’s why everyone’s memories have been wiped of Hope’s existence.”

 

“Exactly! It’s the only explanation for why we would forget her, why everyone would forget her.”

 

Josie had to admit that makes the most sense, but that didn’t answer everything, “Okay well then how does this explain why I an able to remember her?”

 

“Because you took Hope’s blood,” Lizzie answers as she holds up another piece of paper that seemed to be notes of what happened last night, “that vile of blood you drank last night, that was Hope’s blood. And look I guess since Hope’s blood is of the three creatures that made Malivore that’s why she wasn’t affected by those Malivore bullets. That means since you have her blood in your system you aren’t affected by the memory wipe like everyone else.” _Wow Lizzie has seriously been putting some work into all of this._

 

“That does seem like our best answer,” Josie smiles at Lizzie, grateful to have her by her side helping with all of this. Josie started looking over the page in her hand when it suddenly hit her and it felt like all of the blood rushed from her face. Josie turned to Lizzie with this panicked look in her eyes, “but wait Lizzie, what happens when her blood is out of my system?”

 

This caught Lizzie off guard, she hadn’t thought about that possibility, “Umm i don’t know.”

 

“Oh god,” Josie could feel herself starting to panic again, “I’m going to forget about her again aren’t I, but I just got my memories back of her, I can’t forget her again Lizzie I can’t!”

 

“Hey we will figure that out okay?!” Lizzie shouted and she took a hold on Josie’s shoulders looking her sister in the eyes. She took a deep breathe hopping Josie would follow her lead and do the same. As the both of them let out a long exhale Lizzie began to speak again, “Jo, we’ve already come a long way since this morning, and we are not done looking yet. We will find more answers, okay?”

 

Josie took another deep breathe to compose herself once she did she simply noted her head and answered with a quiet, “Okay.”

 

They both turned their attention back to their notes, taking a moment to regather themselves. Another moment passed when Lizzie decided to break the silence, “Should we bring this up to the others? I mean we can’t be the only ones who have had this missing feeling, right?”

 

There was a bit of hesitation as Josie contemplated their options, “I don’t know, everyone might just think we are crazy and that this is just some sort of twin thing. I do think we need to talk to dad though about why he had Hope’s room cleaned out and by these notes we might need to talk to Landon as well.”

 

“So after we get more info we can fill everyone else in.” Lizzie looked to Josie for her response.

 

“Agreed.” Josie stated with a nod.

 

Lizzie gave her a nod back when she remember she had a question for her about one of her notes, “Hey do you know what this note means?” Lizzie asked as she picked up said note.

 

“What note?”

 

“This one that you wrote to yourself, read Penelope’s book, what book could Penelope Park possibly have that could help us in this-“

 

Suddenly a loud pop and crackle startled the twins as they turn their attention to see a spark in the middle of their room appear out of nowhere as a flame seemed to just float in mid air.

 

“What the hell?” Lizzie whispered out as the twins stood from their seats as they watched a piece of paper begin to emerge from the flame. The two slowly made their way closer to get a better look at what was happening. They were mesmerized by the sight of what seemed to be a piece of paper appearing out of thin air via fire. Josie stared to reach out to the paper that still seemed to be set a flame but Lizzie slapped at her hand before she could grab it.

 

“Jo don’t touch it!” Lizzie scolded her sister. As the flame reach what they assumed was the bottom edge of the paper, the flame suddenly disappeared and the piece of paper that seemed to have been stuck in mid air began to drift and fall to the ground.

 

Confident it was now safe to touch Josie walked over to pick the piece of paper up. It lay blank facing towards her, for a brief moment causing some confusion for Josie before she flipped it over to find familiar looking handwriting.

 

_*Gasp*_ “Oh my god!” Josie lets out at she stares at the piece of paper in her hands.

 

_Josie and Lizzie,_

 

_I’m still alive. I’m trapped in a prison world right now and I have no idea how to get out. I need your help, I don’t know if this is going to work or if you will even get this message but if you do I left instructions below how to send me a message back. I’m so grateful you stubborn Saltzman’s wouldn’t give up on me and let me be forgotten, I love you both so much._

 

_Hope_


End file.
